Flavor enhancing composition, method for producing same, and method for enhancing flavor of food product

Abstract

The present specification discloses: a flavor enhancing composition to be blended in a food product to enable enhancement of the flavor of the food product; and a method for producing the flavor enhancing composition. The present disclosure relates to: a flavor enhancing composition containing at least one heat-treated spice selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper; and a method for producing the flavor enhancing composition.

Description

Composition for enhancing flavor, method for producing the same, and method for enhancing flavor of food

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for enhancing flavor, a method for producing the same, and a method for enhancing the flavor of food.

[0002] Table salt (sodium chloride) imparts a favorable taste to food and is used in food as a source of chlorine and sodium, which are essential elements for maintaining life. On the other hand, it is known that excessive intake of table salt causes many diseases such as hypertension, and suppression of the intake amount of table salt is desired.

[0003] On the other hand, pepper and ginger are known as spices. <00000​​​​​Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing a roasted spice paste in which the characteristic aroma and flavor of spices such as black pepper, white pepper, and ginger are enhanced. Specifically, Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing a roasted spice paste containing pulverized roasted spices, which includes the steps of roasting the spices in oil and grease, and pulverizing the roasted spices obtained in the first step under predetermined conditions. Patent Document 2 states that the roasting process with oil should be carried out under conditions that are sufficient to extract the aroma and flavor components contained in the spices without substantially losing them. Specifically, it is stated that this should be done by immersing the spices in oil at 70°C to 200°C, preferably 90°C to 180°C, for 5 seconds to 30 minutes, preferably 10 seconds to 20 minutes.

[0006] Patent Document 3 describes a spice having a new flavor and a method for producing the same. Specifically, Patent Document 3 includes at least two spice groups selected from the group consisting of characteristic flavor spices, caramel flavor enhancing spices, almond flavor enhancing spices, and charcoal flavor enhancing spices. The characteristic flavor spices are either unheated spices or spices obtained by heating unheated spices under conditions where the heating value is 5 or less. The caramel flavor enhancing spices are at least one spice selected from the group consisting of coriander, cumin, dried tangerine peel, anise, celery, turmeric, fenugreek, garlic, chili pepper, paprika, fennel, black pepper, ginger, and asafoetida, heated at a gauge pressure of 0.05 MPa or higher. The invention describes a mixed spice obtained by heating under pressure to achieve a heating value of 15 to 170, wherein the almond aroma-enhancing spice is obtained by heating at least one spice selected from the group consisting of turmeric, chili pepper, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, dried tangerine peel, garlic, paprika, fennel, anise, celery, black pepper, ginger, fenugreek cleaves, and cinnamon under conditions of a gauge pressure of less than 0.05 MPa to achieve a heating value of 50 to 180, and the charcoal aroma-enhancing spice is obtained by heating coriander under conditions of a heating value of 800 or more.

[0007] Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-215808, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-123329, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-103257

[0008] This disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition that can enhance the taste of food when incorporated into the food, and a method for producing the same. This disclosure also relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0009] The present inventors have discovered a flavor-enhancing composition that can enhance the taste of food, a method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition, and the following means as a method for enhancing the taste of food.

[0010] [1] A flavor-enhancing composition containing one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper.

[0011] [2] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [1], wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated ginger, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger.

[0012] [3] The heat-treated ginger is obtained by heat-treating ginger under conditions that result in a heat value of 5 or higher, as described in [2].

[0013] [4] The flavor-enhancing composition according to [2] or [3], wherein the heat-treated ginger is obtained by heat-treating ginger under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0014] [5] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [4], wherein the heat-treated ginger is heat-treated in one or more ways selected from unground ginger and ground ginger.

[0015] [6] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [5], wherein the heat-treated ginger is obtained by heat-treating a mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides.

[0016] [7] The heat-treated ginger is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated ginger and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (301) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.8 or more; (302) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more; (303) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more; (304) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.89 or more. (305) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.8 or more, (306) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (307) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glycine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, (308) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.8 or more, (309) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.9 or more, (310) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from lysine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.3 or more, (311) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more.(312) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.2 or more, (313) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.3 or more, (314) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (315) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 8.4 or more, (316) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.64 or more, (317) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, (318) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.1 or more, (319) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.010 or more, (320) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 19 or more, (321) The area ratio of peak areas derived from ascorbic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.25 or more, (322) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 1.2 or more, (323) The area ratio of peak areas derived from quinic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.70 or more. (324) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 810 or more, and (325) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 100 or more.A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [6] that satisfies one or more of the following conditions. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated ginger and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated ginger are added to the aqueous extract in the test tube, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0017] [8] The heat-treated ginger is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated ginger and the resulting chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (326) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.063 or more; (327) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furfurylthiol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.15 or more; (328) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more; (329) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 5-methylfurfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.039 or more; (330) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfuryl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more. (331) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.12 or more, (332) The area ratio of the peak area derived from hydroxymethylfurfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.39 or more, (333) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.56 or more, (334) The area ratio of the peak area derived from perillaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.93 or more, (335) The area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 8.3 or more, (336) The area ratio of the peak area derived from carveol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.079 or more, (337) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyrrole-2-carboxyaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.10 or more, and (338) the area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylpyrrole to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more.A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [2] to [7] that satisfies one or more of the following conditions. (GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated ginger, 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated ginger, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added per 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0018] A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [9], [2] to [8], comprising: heat-treating ginger to obtain the heat-treated ginger.

[0019]

[10] The method according to [9], wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 5 or higher.

[0020]

[11] The method according to [9] or

[10] , wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0021]

[12] The method according to any one of [9] to

[11] , wherein the ginger is one or more selected from unground ginger and ground ginger.

[0022]

[13] The method according to any one of [9] to

[12] , wherein the ginger is a mixture of ginger and an amino acid or peptide.

[0023]

[14] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated pepper, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper.

[0024]

[15] The flavor-enhancing composition according to

[14] , wherein the heat-treated pepper is obtained by heat-treating pepper under conditions that result in a heat value of 25 or higher.

[0025]

[16] The flavor-enhancing composition according to

[14] or

[15] , wherein the heat-treated pepper is obtained by heat-treating the pepper under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0026]

[17] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[16] , wherein the heat-treated pepper is heat-treated in one or more ways selected from unground pepper and ground pepper.

[0027]

[18] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[17] , wherein the heat-treated pepper is heat-treated to one or more types selected from white pepper and black pepper.

[0028]

[19] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[18] , wherein the heat-treated pepper is obtained by heat-treating a mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides.

[0029]

[20] The heat-treated pepper is white pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated pepper and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (201) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (202) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, (203) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (204) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.22 or more. (205) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (206) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more, (207) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glycine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.54 or more, (208) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, (209) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.5 or more, (210) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from lysine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (211) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.3 or more.(212) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more, (213) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 6.7 or more, (214) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.49 or more, (215) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.93 or more, (216) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.22 or more, (217) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.44 or more, (218) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (219) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more, (220) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, (221) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(22H)-furanone to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.23 or more, (222) The area ratio of peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.55 or more, (223) The area ratio of peak areas derived from ascorbic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.025 or more. (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.10 or more, and one or more of the above conditions are met in the taste-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[19] . (LC-MS measurement method)A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated pepper and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile, 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated pepper are added, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0030]

[21] The heat-treated pepper is black pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the method described in

[20] above, and in the resulting chromatogram, the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the method described below, and in the resulting chromatogram, the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the method described below, and in the resulting chromatogram, (101) the sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 18 or more, and (102) the sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.73 or more. (103) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing aspartic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, (104) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing asparagine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.41 or more, (105) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, (106) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.7 or more, (107) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, (108) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 6.7 or more, (109) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more.(110) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.5 or more, (111) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, (112) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, (113) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.8 or more, (114) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, (115) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.4 or more, (116) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.39 or more, (117) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, (118) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing valine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, (119) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (120) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 14 or more, (121) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.11 or more, (122) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.65 or more, and (123) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.50 or more.(124) The taste-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[19] , which satisfies one or more of the following conditions: the area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.47 or more.

[0031]

[22] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[20] , wherein the heat-treated pepper is white pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated pepper and, in the chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, one or more of the following conditions are met: (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.20 or more, (226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 6.6 or more, (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.20 or more, and (228) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.38 or more. (GC-MS Measurement Method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated pepper, 4-methylthiazole in an amount equivalent to 4 μg / g relative to the heat-treated pepper, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed, and the liquid components are recovered. 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

[0032]

[23] The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[14] to

[19] and

[21] , wherein the heat-treated pepper is black pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is further analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated pepper and performing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the method described in

[22] , and in the resulting chromatogram, one or more of the following is obtained: (125) the area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.28 or more, (126) the area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 23 or more, (127) the area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.30 or more, and (128) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more.

[0033] A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of

[24] ,

[14] to

[23] , comprising: heating pepper to obtain the heat-treated pepper.

[0034]

[25] The method according to

[24] , wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 25 or more.

[0035]

[26] The method according to

[24] or

[25] , wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0036]

[27] The method according to any one of

[24] to

[26] , wherein the pepper is one or more selected from unground pepper and ground pepper.

[0037]

[28] The method according to any one of

[24] to

[27] , wherein the pepper is one or more selected from white pepper and black pepper.

[0038]

[29] The method according to any one of

[24] to

[28] , wherein the pepper is a mixture of pepper and an amino acid or a peptide.

[0039]

[30] A flavor enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [8] and

[14] to

[23] for enhancing the flavor of a food when incorporated into the food.

[0040]

[31] A method for enhancing the flavor of a food, comprising incorporating a flavor enhancing composition according to any one of [1] to [8] and

[14] to

[23] into the food.

[0041]

[32] The method according to

[31] , wherein the flavor to be enhanced is the flavor inherent in the food itself.

[0042]

[33] The method according to

[31] or

[32] , comprising incorporating the flavor enhancing composition into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is from 0.002% by mass to 2% by mass.

[0043]

[34] The method according to any one of

[31] to

[33] , comprising incorporating the flavor enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of the salt equivalent in the food.

[0044]

[35] When the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the method comprises incorporating the flavor enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated spice is 0.05 g or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food; when the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the method comprises incorporating the flavor enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of the heat-treated spice is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food. The method according to any one of

[31] to

[34] .

[0045]

[36] Use of one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper for enhancing the flavor of a food.

[0046]

[37] The heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated ginger, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the heat-treated ginger is the heat-treated ginger defined in any one of [2] to [8], the use according to

[36] .

[0047]

[38] The heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated pepper, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the heat-treated pepper is the heat-treated pepper defined in any one of

[14] to

[23] , the use according to

[36] or

[37] .

[0048]

[39] The use according to any one of

[36] to

[38] , which is blended in the food to enhance the taste of the food itself.

[0049]

[40] The heat-treated spice is blended in the food so that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less to enhance the taste of the food, the use according to any one of

[36] to

[39] .

[0050]

[41] The heat-treated spice is blended in the food so that the heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of the salt equivalent amount in the food to enhance the taste of the food, the use according to any one of

[36] to

[40] .

[0051]

[42] When the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the heat-treated spice is blended in the food so that the heat-treated spice is 0.05 g or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food to enhance the taste of the food. When the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the heat-treated spice is blended in the food so that the heat-treated spice is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of the lipid in the food to enhance the taste of the food, the use according to any one of

[36] to

[41] .

[0052]

[43] A method for enhancing the flavor of a food, comprising incorporating one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper into the food.

[0053]

[44] The method according to

[43] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated ginger, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the heat-treated ginger is the heat-treated ginger specified in any of [2] to [8].

[0054]

[45] The method according to

[43] or

[44] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated pepper, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the heat-treated pepper is the heat-treated pepper specified in any of

[14] to

[23] .

[0055]

[46] The method according to any one of

[43] to

[45] , wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

[0056]

[47] The method according to any one of

[43] to

[46] , comprising blending the heat-treated spices into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spices in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

[0057]

[48] ​​The method according to any one of

[43] to

[47] , comprising adding the heat-treated spice to the food such that the amount of the heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

[0058]

[49] The method according to any one of

[43] to

[48] , comprising: if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the heat-treated spice is added to the food so that there is 0.05 g or more of the heat-treated spice per 100 g of lipid in the food; and if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the heat-treated spice is added to the food so that there is 1.0 mg or more of the heat-treated spice per 100 g of lipid in the food.

[0059]

[50] One or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper, for use in enhancing the flavor of food.

[0060]

[51] The heat-treated spice according to

[50] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated ginger, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the heat-treated ginger is the heat-treated ginger specified in any of [2] to [8].

[0061]

[52] The heat-treated spice according to

[50] or

[51] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated pepper, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the heat-treated pepper is the heat-treated pepper specified in any of

[14] to

[23] .

[0062]

[53] A heat-treated spice according to any one of

[50] to

[52] , wherein the use is to enhance the flavor of the food by being incorporated into the food.

[0063]

[54] The heat-treated spice according to any one of

[50] to

[53] , wherein the use is to blend the heat-treated spice into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

[0064]

[55] The heat-treated spice according to any one of

[50] to

[54] , wherein the use includes blending the heat-treated spice into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

[0065]

[56] The heat-treated spice according to any one of

[50] to

[55] , wherein the use includes, when the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, blending the heat-treated spice into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.05 g or more per 100 g of lipid in the food, and when the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, blending the heat-treated spice into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of lipid in the food.

[0066]

[57] Use of one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper in the manufacture of an additive for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food.

[0067]

[58] The use according to

[57] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated ginger, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the heat-treated ginger is the heat-treated ginger specified in any of [2] to [8].

[0068]

[59] The use according to

[57] or

[58] , wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated pepper, specifically, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the heat-treated pepper is the heat-treated pepper specified in any of

[14] to

[23] .

[0069]

[60] The use according to any one of

[57] to

[59] , wherein the additive is incorporated into a food to enhance the taste of the food itself.

[0070]

[61] The use according to any one of

[57] to

[60] , wherein the additive is incorporated into the food in such a way that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less in order to enhance the taste.

[0071]

[62] The use according to any one of

[57] to

[61] , wherein the additive is incorporated into the food in such a way that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food, in order to enhance the taste.

[0072]

[63] The use according to any one of

[57] to

[62] , wherein if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the additive is used to enhance the taste by being incorporated into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.05 g or more per 100 g of lipid in the food, and if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the additive is used to enhance the taste by being incorporated into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of lipid in the food.

[0073] In any one embodiment of [1] to

[63] above, the food may be a low-sodium food, a low-fat food, or a low-carbohydrate food.

[0074] In one embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] , the concentration of the heat-treated spices refers to the total concentration of one or more of the heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of the heat-treated pepper (which may include at least one of black pepper and white pepper) and the heat-treated ginger. In another embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] , the concentration of the heat-treated spices refers to the individual concentrations of one or more of the heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of the heat-treated pepper and the heat-treated ginger. In the above

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] , the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives are blended into the food so that the heat-treated spices in the food (calculated as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) are concentrated, either in total or individually, to, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, when used to enhance the taste of food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives can be blended such that, per unit amount of the total food, the heat-treated spices (calculated amount as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) have a final concentration of, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, when used to enhance the taste of food with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the heat-treated spices (calculated amount as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) can be blended such that, per unit amount of the total food, the heat-treated spices (calculated amount as dried spices)The flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives can be blended such that the final concentration of oil, amino acids, peptides, water, and other components (excluding spices) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less.

[0075] In one embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food so that the total concentration of the heat-treated ginger is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In another embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is in total concentration of, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In yet another embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is in total concentration of, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less.

[0076] In one embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food so that the total concentration of the heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. In another embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is in total concentration of, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. In yet another embodiment of

[33] ,

[40] ,

[47] ,

[54] and

[61] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is in total concentration of, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less. In each embodiment described in this paragraph, the pepper may be black pepper, white pepper, or a mixture of black pepper and white pepper.

[0077] In one embodiment of

[34] ,

[41] ,

[48] ,

[55] and

[62] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of salt equivalent in the food refers to the total amount of one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of the heat-treated pepper (which may include at least one of black pepper and white pepper) and the heat-treated ginger. In another embodiment of

[34] ,

[41] ,

[48] ,

[55] and

[62] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of salt equivalent in the food refers to the amount of each of the one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of the heat-treated pepper and the heat-treated ginger. In the above

[34] ,

[41] ,

[48] ,

[55] and

[62] , the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives can be blended such that, for every 100 g of salt equivalent of the food, the heat-treated spices (calculated as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) amount to, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 40 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 25 g or less.

[0078] In one embodiment of

[34] ,

[41] ,

[48] ,

[55] and

[62] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, even more preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 40 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 25 g or less, based on 100 g of the salt equivalent amount of the food.

[0079] In one embodiment of

[34] ,

[41] ,

[48] ,

[55] and

[62] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the total amount of the heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is, for example, 0.5 g or more, preferably 1 g or more, preferably 2 g or more, more preferably 4 g or more, even more preferably 5 g or more, for example, 0.5 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 1 g or more and 75 g or less, even more preferably 2 g or more and 50 g or less, particularly preferably 4 g or more and 40 g or less, and even more preferably 5 g or more and 25 g or less, per 100 g of the salt equivalent amount of the food. In the embodiment described in this paragraph, the pepper may be black pepper, white pepper, or a mixture of black pepper and white pepper.

[0080] In one embodiment of

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of lipids in the food refers to the total amount of one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of the heat-treated pepper (which may include at least one of black pepper and white pepper) and the heat-treated ginger. In another embodiment of

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] , the amount of heat-treated spices per 100g of lipids in the food refers to the amount of each of the one or more heat-treated spices if the heat-treated spices include one or more of the heat-treated pepper and the heat-treated ginger. In the preceding paragraphs

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] , if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives can be blended into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spices (calculated as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) per 100 g of lipids in the food is, for example, 0.05 g or more, preferably 0.10 g or more, more preferably 0.20 g or more, even more preferably 0.5 g or more, particularly preferably 1.0 g or more, for example 0.05 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.10 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 0.20 g or more and 50 g or less, even more preferably 0.50 g or more and 25 g or less, particularly preferably 1.0 g or more and 25 g or less. In the above

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] , if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spices, or the additives can be blended into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spices (calculated as dried spices; excluding components other than spices such as oil, amino acids, peptides, and water) per 100g of lipids in the food is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, and more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg.

[0081] In one embodiment of

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is in total, for example, 0.05 g or more, preferably 0.10 g or more, more preferably 0.20 g or more, even more preferably 0.5 g or more, particularly preferably 1.0 g or more, for example, 0.05 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.10 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 0.20 g or more and 50 g or less, even more preferably 0.50 g or more and 25 g or less, particularly preferably 1.0 g or more and 25 g or less, per 100 g of lipids in the food, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food. In another embodiment of

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated ginger, the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food such that the heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is, in total, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, and more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg per 100 g of lipids in the food.

[0082] In one embodiment of

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the food has a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, and the heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is in total, for example, 0.05 g or more, preferably 0.10 g or more, more preferably 0.20 g or more, even more preferably 0.5 g or more, particularly preferably 1.0 g or more, for example, 0.05 g or more and 100 g or less, preferably 0.10 g or more and 75 g or less, more preferably 0.20 g or more and 50 g or less, even more preferably 0.50 g or more and 25 g or less, particularly preferably 1.0 g or more and 25 g or less, per 100 g of lipid in the food, the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food. In another embodiment of

[35] ,

[42] ,

[49] ,

[56] and

[63] above, the heat-treated spice is the heat-treated pepper, and the food has a lipid content of 20% by mass or more, and the heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is in total, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example, 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg, per 100 g of lipid in the food, such that the flavor-enhancing composition, the heat-treated spice, or the additive is blended into the food. In each embodiment described in this paragraph, the pepper may be black pepper, white pepper, or a mixture of black pepper and white pepper.

[0083] In this specification and in the claims, the numerical range "X to Y" is synonymous with "X or greater, and Y or less," and refers to a range that includes the values ​​X and Y at both ends, as well as the values ​​in between.

[0084] This specification includes the disclosures of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2025-015683 and 2024-233139, which form the basis of the priority claim of this application. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0085] One or more flavor-enhancing compositions according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure can enhance the flavor of food when incorporated into the food.

[0086] According to the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the flavor-enhancing composition can be produced.

[0087] According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for enhancing the taste of a food can be used to enhance the taste of a food by incorporating the taste-enhancing composition into the food.

[0088] This specification discloses one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper, uses of the heat-treated spices, and methods for producing the heat-treated spices.

[0089] In this specification, an aspect of the present invention in which the heat-treated spice includes heat-treated pepper, specifically, the heat-treated spice is heat-treated pepper, is described as the "first disclosure."

[0090] In this specification, an aspect of the present invention in which the heat-treated spice includes heat-treated ginger, specifically, the heat-treated spice is heat-treated ginger, is described as the "second disclosure."

[0091] The first and second disclosures of this specification are collectively referred to as the "Disclosure" or the "Invention."

[0092] In this disclosure, "flavor" refers to the flavor possessed by food, and can be one or more flavors selected from, for example, saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness, and preferably one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sourness, umami, richness, and milkiness. "Flavor enhancement" refers to enhancing the flavor felt when food is consumed, and for example, it refers to enhancing the weak flavor felt when consuming food containing flavor components in a reduced amount than usual (e.g., low-salt foods, low-fat foods, low-carbohydrate foods).

[0093] In this disclosure, the taste perceived when consuming food can be divided into three stages: the "top" taste perceived first, the "middle" taste perceived next, and the "last" taste perceived last. In this disclosure, taste enhancement refers to enhancing at least one of these tastes.

[0094] Saltiness, in terms of taste, is the taste perceived when consuming salt (sodium chloride). Saltiness encompasses both the taste of salt itself and the taste perceived when salt is combined with other ingredients. For example, the top taste of a food containing salt is the pungent taste of salt, known as "saltiness," while the middle tastes include "fullness" and "savory flavor," and the final tastes include "metallic complexity" and "lingering aftertaste." Saltiness may also include the taste resulting from "flavor enhancement," where the taste of other ingredients is enhanced by salt. In this disclosure, enhancing saltiness refers to enhancing at least one of these types of saltiness.

[0095] In this disclosure, "fatty sensation" refers to the taste perceived when consuming foods containing fats and oils. Examples of fat-induced tastes include richness, depth of flavor, fullness, lingering taste, aftertaste, and smoothness. Here, fat-induced taste also includes tastes produced by fat-soluble components contained in fats and oils.

[0096] In terms of taste, "richness" can also be described as the "depth" or "body" of the flavor perceived when eating food. Therefore, "enhancing richness" can also be rephrased as "adding depth" or "adding body."

[0097] In this disclosure, flavor enhancement more preferably refers to flavor enhancement derived from one or more flavor components selected from salt, oils and fats, sucrose, citric acid, tartaric acid, naringin, glutamic acid or its salt, aspartic acid or its salt, succinic acid or its salt, inosinic acid or its salt, guanylic acid or its salt, glycine or its salt, alanine or its salt, chili pepper, black pepper, animal or plant-derived extracts, and seasonings. Examples of salts in the one or more flavor components include sodium salts. Examples of animal or plant-derived extracts include one or more extracts selected from beef extract, chicken extract, pork extract, seafood extract, garlic extract, and onion extract. Examples of seasonings include one or more selected from tomato paste, banana paste, apple paste, honey, soy sauce, miso, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, cheese, noodle soup base, defatted soybeans, skim milk powder, yeast extract, protein hydrolysate, and curry powder. In this disclosure, enhanced taste more preferably refers to enhanced taste derived from the one or more taste components in a food containing the one or more taste components, particularly in a food containing the one or more taste components in a smaller amount than usual.

[0098] Examples of foods whose taste is enhanced in this disclosure include low-sodium foods, low-fat foods (low-oil foods), and low-carbohydrate foods.

[0099] Reduced-salt foods refer to foods in which the amount of salt equivalent is reduced compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of salt equivalent per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of salt equivalent per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0100] Low-fat foods refer to foods that contain or do not contain a reduced amount of fat compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of fat per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of fat per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0101] Low-carbohydrate foods refer to foods that contain or do not contain carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to the corresponding regular foods. Examples include foods in which the amount of carbohydrates per unit mass is 95% or less by mass, 90% or less by mass, 70% or less by mass, or 50% or less by mass, or 10% to 95% by mass, 20% to 90% by mass, 30% to 70% by mass, or 40% to 50% by mass, compared to the amount of carbohydrates per unit mass of the corresponding regular food.

[0102] The salt equivalent in food can be measured, for example, based on the amount of sodium in the food. The amount of sodium can be measured by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. If the food consists of known ingredients, the salt equivalent can be calculated based on the amount of salt added. Also, if the salt equivalent is listed as a nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, that can be considered the salt equivalent of those ingredients, and the salt equivalent in the food can be calculated accordingly.

[0103] The amount of lipids in food can be measured, for example, by ether extraction. If the food consists of known ingredients, the amount of lipids in the food can be calculated based on the amount of lipids in the ingredients. Also, if the amount of lipids is listed as nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, that can be considered as the amount of lipids in those ingredients and used to calculate the amount of lipids in the food. In this specification, the terms "reduced-fat food" and "fat-reduced food" are used interchangeably.

[0104] The amount of sugar in food can be measured by methods such as the phenol-sulfuric acid method, enzymatic methods, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of free sugars, and the Bertrand method. If the food is made up of known ingredients, the amount of sugar in the food can be calculated based on the amount of sugar in the ingredients. Furthermore, if the amount of carbohydrates is listed as nutritional information on the packaging of the known ingredients that make up the food, this can be considered as the amount of sugar in those ingredients, and the amount of sugar in the food can be calculated accordingly.

[0105] In this disclosure of heating value, the heating value is determined as the value obtained by integrating the value expressed by the following formula (hereinafter referred to as the "CV value") with respect to the heating time (minutes).

[0106] (Formula): CV value = 10 [(product temperature - reference temperature) / Z value] In this disclosure, "reference temperature" is 110°C and "Z value" is 30°C. "Product temperature" refers to the temperature of the object being heated during the heat treatment.

[0107] In this disclosure, cyclic dipeptides are represented by (Val-Arg), etc., which represent a cyclic dipeptide consisting of two amino acids. Leu / Ile represents either or both of leucine (Leu) and isoleucine (Ile), for example, "peak area derived from cyclic (Leu / Ile-Ala))" refers to the sum of the peak area derived from cyclic (Leu-Ala) and the peak area derived from cyclic (Ile-Ala). In this disclosure, "hyPro" refers to γ-hydroxyproline. In this disclosure, each amino acid constituting the cyclic dipeptide may be the L-form, the D-form, or a mixture of the L-form and the D-form.

[0108] A. The First Disclosure of This Specification Sections A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4 below specifically describe the first disclosure of this specification.

[0109] A-1. Flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first disclosure The first aspect of the first disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated pepper.

[0110] The first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can enhance the flavor of food by being incorporated into the food itself. For example, a food containing one or more flavor components in a reduced amount compared to normal (for example, a low-salt food containing salt in a reduced amount compared to normal, a low-fat food containing oil in a reduced amount compared to normal, or a low-carbohydrate food containing carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to normal) that incorporates the first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition can have a flavor closer to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts compared to a food that does not contain it, and more preferably, a flavor equivalent to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts. The first disclosed flavor-enhancing composition is more preferably a flavor-enhancing composition that enhances the flavor of a food by being incorporated into a salt-containing food such as a low-salt food, a lipid-containing food such as a low-carbohydrate food, or a carbohydrate-containing food such as a low-carbohydrate food. As shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3, cyclic dipeptides have the effect of enhancing the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods. As will be described later, heat-treated pepper contains more cyclic dipeptides than raw pepper, so the taste-enhancing composition of the first disclosure can be a taste-enhancing composition that enhances the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods.

[0111] In the first disclosure, "pepper" generally refers to dried pepper fruits or processed products thereof, which are commonly used as a spice. The term "raw material pepper" may be used to distinguish the pepper used as a raw material from heat-treated pepper. As raw material pepper, known spices such as black pepper, white pepper, pink pepper, and green pepper can be used, and preferably, one or more selected from black pepper and white pepper are used. As raw material pepper, one or more selected from unground pepper and ground pepper can be used. The particle size of the ground pepper is not particularly limited, and it may be coarsely ground pepper or a powdered pepper.

[0112] The raw material pepper may be a mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides. By heating the mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides, heat-treated pepper can be obtained that has a particularly high effect in enhancing the richness of the flavor. The amino acids or peptides are preferably one or more amino acids selected from alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids. In specific examples, the amino acids or peptides mixed with pepper are preferably one or more amino acids selected from proline, methionine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids, and are particularly preferably the above amino acids. In a mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides, the blending ratio of pepper to amino acids or peptides is not particularly limited, but for every 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis), the total amount of amino acids or peptides can be, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more specifically 1 part by mass or more and 15 parts by mass or less, and more specifically 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less. The amino acids can be L-forms, D-forms, or mixtures of L-forms and D-forms, for example, the L-form can be used.

[0113] The heat-treated pepper in the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure is preferably in powder form, and the particle size is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1000 μm or less, preferably 500 μm or less. Here, the particle size can be determined by the mesh size of a standard sieve specified in JIS. The powdered heat-treated pepper may be powdered before or after the heat treatment. The heat-treated pepper in the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may be provided in the form of a mixture of heat-treated pepper and oil. Depending on the melting point of the oil, the mixture may be solid at room temperature or liquid at room temperature.

[0114] The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may consist solely of heat-treated pepper, or it may contain heat-treated pepper and other components. Examples of other components include one or more components having a flavor-enhancing effect, or one or more components that are acceptable as food. The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may contain heat-treated pepper in a proportion of 5% to 100% by mass, more preferably 10% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 15% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 100% by mass, on a dry basis. The flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure may be in the form of powder, granules, paste, liquid, etc., and may contain one or more components that are acceptable as food, such as excipients and carriers, as necessary to achieve the desired form.

[0115] Next, a preferred embodiment of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated pepper will be described.

[0116] The first form of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated pepper may be a heat treatment under conditions where the heating value is specifically 25 or more, more specifically 40 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 120 or more, even more preferably 150 or more, specifically 25 to 400,000, more specifically 40 to 400,000, preferably 100 to 400,000, even more preferably 120 to 200,000, even more preferably 150 to 200,000, even more preferably 150 to 50,000, and particularly preferably 150 to 20,000. Pepper heat-treated under conditions where the heating value is within this range is preferable because it has a high effect of enhancing the flavor. The temperature and time in the heat treatment of the first form can be appropriately set so that the heating value is within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment is such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, specifically 105°C or higher, more specifically 110°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 125°C or higher, and can be, for example, 100°C to 400°C, specifically 105°C to 400°C, more specifically 110°C to 400°C, preferably 120°C to 350°C, more preferably 125°C to 320°C. The time in the first embodiment of the heat treatment can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, for example, 2 minutes to 60 minutes, preferably 4 minutes to 40 minutes. The first embodiment of the heat treatment may be carried out in an open system or a closed system. The raw material pepper used in the first embodiment of the heat treatment may be mixed with one or more selected from water, oil, amino acids, and peptides, or it may consist only of raw material pepper.

[0117] A second form of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated pepper may be a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized and sealed conditions.

[0118] Pepper treated under the aforementioned "a1) open system conditions" (sometimes referred to as "heating condition a1") is preferred because it enhances the flavor. In heating condition a1), an open system refers to an environment that is not sealed and in which moisture and volatile components including aroma components can volatilize into the surrounding atmosphere during heat treatment. Examples of heat treatment devices that can be used for heat treatment in an open system include roasters equipped with open containers such as flat kettles, rotary cylindrical kettles, and pots, as well as ovens with open interiors, hot air roasters, and superheated steam stirring and mixing sterilization devices. Such heat treatment in an open system can be referred to as "roasting". Heat treatment in an open system can be carried out under non-pressurized conditions.

[0119] The heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a1) is specifically 25 or higher, more specifically 40 or higher, preferably 100 or higher, more preferably 150 or higher, more preferably 1000 or higher, even more preferably 2000 or higher, and particularly preferably 5000 or higher. For example, it can be 25 to 400000, specifically 40 to 400000, preferably 100 to 400000, more preferably 150 to 200000, even more preferably 1000 to 100000, even more preferably 2000 to 50000, particularly preferably 2000 to 20000, and especially even more preferably 4000 to 10000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a1) within the above range, heat-treated pepper with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0120] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) are preferably set appropriately so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature is such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, specifically 105°C or higher, more specifically 110°C or higher, even more specifically 120°C or higher, particularly 140°C or higher, preferably 165°C or higher, more preferably 190°C or higher, even more preferably 205°C or higher, and particularly preferably 210°C or higher. For example, it can be 100°C or higher and 400°C or lower, specifically 105°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more specifically 110°C or higher and 400°C or lower, even more specifically 120°C or higher and 400°C or lower, particularly specifically 140°C or higher and 400°C or lower, preferably 165°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more preferably 190°C or higher and 350°C or lower, even more preferably 205°C or higher and 320°C or lower, and particularly preferably 210°C or higher and 300°C or lower. The time for the heat treatment under heating condition a1) can be adjusted as appropriate so that the heating value falls within the above range, but for example it can be 3 minutes or more, preferably 5 minutes or more, for example 3 minutes to 50 minutes, preferably 5 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0121] The form of the raw material pepper used in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) is not particularly limited, but preferably it is one or more selected from unground pepper and ground pepper, and more preferably unground pepper. The raw material pepper used in the heat treatment under heating condition a1) may be pepper alone, or it may be a mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition a1), oil and / or water may be added to the raw material pepper, or not, but it is particularly preferable not to add them.

[0122] Pepper that has been heat-treated under the conditions described in "b1) where oil is present" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating condition b1") is preferred because it has a high effect of enhancing flavor. The oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) is not particularly limited, but for example, per 100 parts by mass of pepper, for example, 5 parts by mass or more and 500 parts by mass or less, preferably 50 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 75 parts by mass or more and 150 parts by mass or less of oil can be used.

[0123] The heating treatment under heating condition b1) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 100 or more, specifically 120 or more, more specifically 130 or more, for example, 100 to 800,000, specifically 120 to 400,000, preferably 130 to 200,000, more preferably 130 to 50,000, even more preferably 130 to 5,000, and especially preferably 130 to 1,000. By setting the heating value of the heating treatment under heating condition b1) within the above range, heat-treated pepper with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0124] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 130°C or higher, and even more preferably 145°C or higher, and can be, for example, 100°C or higher and 300°C or lower, preferably 120°C or higher and 280°C or lower, more preferably 130°C or higher and 250°C or lower, and even more preferably 145°C or higher and 230°C or lower. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be, for example, 2 minutes or more and preferably 4 minutes or more, and can be, for example, 2 minutes or more and 40 minutes or lower, and preferably 4 minutes or more and 25 minutes or lower.

[0125] The heat treatment under heating condition b1) can be carried out in either an open or closed system, and can be performed by heating with superheated steam or heating with an oven. Examples of heating devices used for the heat treatment under heating condition b1) include ovens, flat-pan roasters, vertical heating mixers, and microwave heating devices.

[0126] The form of pepper heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) is not particularly limited, but preferably it is one or more selected from unground pepper and ground pepper. The pepper heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b1) may be pepper alone, or it may be a mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides.

[0127] Pepper that has been heat-treated under the aforementioned "c1) pressurized and sealed conditions" (which may be referred to as "heating conditions c1") is preferable because it has a high effect in enhancing flavor.

[0128] The heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 30 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 120 or more, even more preferably 150 or more, for example, 30 to 20000, specifically 30 to 10000, more specifically 100 to 5000, preferably 100 to 2000, and more preferably 120 to 1500. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition c1) within the above range, heat-treated pepper with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0129] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 125°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 200°C, preferably 110°C to 180°C, more preferably 120°C to 160°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 150°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be, for example, 10 minutes or more, preferably 12 minutes or more, more preferably 20 minutes or more, and can be such as 10 minutes to 90 minutes, preferably 12 minutes to 90 minutes, more preferably 20 minutes to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0130] The heat treatment under heating condition c1) can be carried out under pressure conditions where the gauge pressure is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.15 MPa or higher, preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.60 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.40 MPa.

[0131] Examples of heating devices used for pressurized sealed heating under heating condition c1) include pressurized sealed kettles and retort-type sterilizers. Heat treatment under heating condition c1) using a retort-type sterilizer may involve placing the raw pepper material in a soft, heat-resistant bag (for example, a bag made of aluminum foil laminated resin sheet), sealing it, and heating it under pressurized conditions.

[0132] The form of the raw pepper used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground pepper and ground pepper. The raw pepper used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) may be pepper alone, or it may be a mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition c1), oil and / or water may be added to the raw pepper, or not. In the embodiment in which a mixture of pepper and oil is used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1), the oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating condition c1) is not particularly limited, but for example, per 100 parts by mass of pepper, for example, 5 to 800 parts by mass, preferably 50 to 400 parts by mass, and more preferably 75 to 300 parts by mass of oil can be used.

[0133] In a preferred embodiment, the heat-treated pepper obtained by subjecting pepper to the heat treatment described in the first or second embodiment has an increased amount of one or more compounds selected from the following: cyclic dipeptides, sulfole, pyroglutamic acid, 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, vanillin, ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, phellandral, nerolidol, benzaldehyde, and furfural, compared to the pepper before heating. The inventors have found that the amount of the compounds contained in the heat-treated pepper correlates with the strength of its flavor-enhancing effect.

[0134] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure, when the raw material pepper is black pepper, the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated pepper and analyzing the resulting chromatogram by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method: (101) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 18 or more, preferably 20 or more, preferably 18 to 68, and more preferably 20 to 65; (102) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.73 or more, preferably 0.95 or more, preferably 0.73 to 4.3, and more preferably 0.95 to 4.0. (103) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, preferably 3.4 or more, preferably 2.9 to 11, and more preferably 3.4 to 10; (104) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.41 or more, preferably 0.55 or more, preferably 0.41 to 3.5, and more preferably 0.55 to 3.2; (105) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, preferably 3.8 or more, preferably 2.9 to 13, and more preferably 3.8 to 13; (106) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.7 or more, preferably 2.7 to 12; (107) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glycine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, preferably 2.1 or more, preferably 1.7 to 8.5, and more preferably 2.1 to 8.5.(108) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the histidine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 6.7 or more, preferably 7.9 or more, 6.7 or more and 25 or less, more preferably 7.9 or more and 25 or less, (109) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, preferably 5.6 or more, preferably 4.8 or more and 19 or less, more preferably 5.6 or more and 19 or less, (110) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.5 or more, preferably 3.8 or more, preferably 3.5 or more and 11 or less, more preferably 3.8 or more and 11 or less, (111) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing methionine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, preferably 3.6 or more, preferably 2.9 to 11, more preferably 3.6 to 11, (112) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, preferably 3.6 or more, preferably 2.9 to 12, more preferably 3.6 to 12, (113) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.8 or more, preferably 11 or more, preferably 9.8 to 57, more preferably 11 to 57, (114) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, preferably 2.0 or more, preferably 1.7 to 8.6, more preferably 2.0 to 8.6, (115) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.4 or more, preferably 12 or more, preferably 9.4 to 47, and more preferably 12 to 47.(116) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.39 or more, preferably 0.43 or more, preferably 0.39 to 1.6, and more preferably 0.43 to 1.5; (117) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tyrosine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, preferably 2.3 or more, preferably 2.1 to 8.0, and more preferably 2.3 to 8.0; (118) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, preferably 5.9 or more, preferably 4.8 to 24, and more preferably 5.9 to 24; (119) The area ratio of the peak area derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 to 1.1; (120) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 14 or more, preferably 15 or more, preferably 14 to 44, more preferably 15 to 42; (121) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.11 or more, preferably 0.20 or more, preferably 0.11 to 3.8, more preferably 0.20 to 1.9; (122) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.65 or more, preferably 0.70 or more, preferably 0.65 to 3.0, more preferably 0.70 to 2.2; (123) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.50 or more, preferably 0.50 or more and 4.3 or less, more preferably 0.50 or more and 2.2 or less, and (124) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.47 or more, preferably 0.47 or more and 2.5 or less, more preferably 0.47 or more and 1.4 or less.One or more of these, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, even more preferably 20 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0135] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure, when the raw material pepper is white pepper, the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated pepper and analyzing the resulting chromatogram by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which (201) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, preferably 1.5 to 8.2, more preferably 1.5 to 5.1, and (202) the total area ratio of the peak area derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, preferably 2.0 or more, preferably 1.8 to 12, more preferably 2.0 to 9.8. (203) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, preferably 1.2 to 4.4, and more preferably 1.2 to 2.9; (204) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.22 or more, preferably 0.22 to 1.1; (205) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, preferably 1.2 or more, preferably 1.1 to 4.0, and more preferably 1.2 to 4.0; (206) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more, preferably 0.20 to 3.5, and more preferably 0.20 to 2.7; (207) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glycine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.54 or more, preferably 0.70 or more, preferably 0.54 to 3.5, and more preferably 0.70 to 3.2.(208) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the histidine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, preferably 1.6 or more, preferably 1.4 to 9.7, and more preferably 1.6 to 9.7; (209) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.5 or more, preferably 6.0 or more, preferably 5.5 to 20, and more preferably 6.0 to 20; (210) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, preferably 1.0 or more, preferably 0.80 to 5.4, and more preferably 1.0 to 4.2; (211) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing methionine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.3 or more, preferably 1.3 to 9.1, and more preferably 1.3 to 3.5; (212) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more, preferably 2.6 to 12, and more preferably 2.6 to 7.5; (213) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 6.7 or more, preferably 7.7 or more, preferably 6.7 to 27, and more preferably 7.7 to 27; (214) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.49 or more, preferably 0.55 or more, preferably 0.49 to 2.3, and more preferably 0.55 to 2.3; (215) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.93 or more, preferably 0.93 or more and 5.3 or less, more preferably 0.93 or more and 2.7 or less.(216) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.22 or more, preferably 0.22 or more and 1.6 or less, more preferably 0.22 or more and 0.74 or less, (217) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tyrosine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.44 or more, preferably 0.44 or more and 2.4 or less, more preferably 0.44 or more and 1.9 or less, (218) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, preferably 1.4 or more, preferably 1.1 or more and 5.5 or less, more preferably 1.4 or more and 5.5 or less, (219) The area ratio of the peak area derived from sulfurol to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more, preferably 0.14 or more and 0.97 or less, more preferably 0.14 or more and 0.53 or less, (220) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, preferably 2.1 to 7.9, and more preferably 2.1 to 5.5; (221) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.23 or more, preferably 0.35 or more, 0.23 to 2.0, and more preferably 0.35 to 2.0; (222) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillin to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.55 or more, preferably 0.55 to 2.9, and more preferably 0.55 to 1.8; (223) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.025 or more, preferably 0.025 or more and 0.73 or less, more preferably 0.025 or more and 0.18 or less, and (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.10 or more, preferably 0.10 or more and 1.0 or less, more preferably 0.10 or more and 0.60 or less.One or more of these, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, even more preferably 20 or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0136] Here, the LC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the LC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0137] A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the aforementioned heat-treated pepper (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated pepper is pepper that has been heat-treated with oil, or pepper that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as pepper excluding oil, amino acids or peptides) and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare a water extract. To the water extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone per 200 mg of the aforementioned heat-treated pepper (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated pepper is pepper that has been heat-treated under heating condition b1, or pepper that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as pepper excluding oil, amino acids or peptides) are added, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram. Here, the heat-treated pepper used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of pulverized material.

[0138] Caffeine-d9 is the internal standard in positive mode. Caffeine-d9 and each of the compounds described in (101) to (122) and (201) to (222) above are separated by LC and detected as [M+H] ions in positive mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M+H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak areas, the peak area ratios specified in (101) to (122) and (201) to (222) above can be calculated.

[0139] L-methionine sulfone is the internal standard in negative mode. L-methionine sulfone and each of the compounds described in (123) to (124) and (223) to (224) are separated by LC and detected as [M-H] ions in negative mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M-H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak areas, the peak area ratios specified in (123) to (124) and (223) to (224) can be calculated.

[0140] The alanine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (101) and (201) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Alanine (Ala)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0141] The arginine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (102) and (202) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Arginine (Arg)" row in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0142] The cyclic dipeptides containing aspartic acid in (103) and (203) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "aspartic acid (Asp)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0143] The asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (104) and (204) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Asparagine (Asn)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0144] The glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptides in (105) and (205) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Glutamic Acid (Glu)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0145] The glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (106) and (206) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Glutamine (Gln)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0146] The glycine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (107) and (207) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Glycine (Gly)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0147] The histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (108) and (208) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the "Histidine (His)" row in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0148] The leucine or isoleucine in (109) and (209) above is typically a cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Leucine / Isoleucine (Leu / Ile)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, or in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0149] The lysine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (110) and (210) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Lys" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0150] The cyclic dipeptides containing methionine in (111) and (211) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "methionine (Met)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0151] The cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine in (112) and (212) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "phenylalanine (Phe)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0152] The proline-containing cyclic dipeptides in (113) and (213) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Proline (Pro)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0153] The serine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (114) and (214) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Serine (Ser)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0154] The cyclic dipeptides containing threonine in (115) and (215) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Threonine (Thr)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0155] The cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan in (116) and (216) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Tryptophan (Trp)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0156] The tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptides in (117) and (217) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Tyrosine (Tyr)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0157] The valin-containing cyclic dipeptides in (118) and (218) are typically the cyclic dipeptides listed in the row for "Valine (Val)" in Table 9 when the pepper is black pepper, and in Table 12 when the pepper is white pepper.

[0158] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure, when the raw material pepper is black pepper, the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated pepper and, in the chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, (125) the area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.28 or more, preferably 0.30 or more, preferably 0.28 to 1.1, and more preferably 0.30 to 0.82, and (126) the area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 23 or more, preferably 23 to 61, and more preferably 23 to 57. (127) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.30 or more, preferably 0.30 or more and 1.1 or less, more preferably 0.30 or more and 0.80 or less, and (128) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more, preferably 0.19 or more and 0.73 or less. One or more of these conditions is satisfied, preferably two or more, more preferably three or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0159] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the first disclosure, when the raw material pepper is white pepper, the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated pepper and the resulting chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) by the following method, wherein (225) the area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.20 or more, preferably 0.21 or more, preferably 0.20 to 0.79, and more preferably 0.21 to 0.79; (226) the area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 6.6 or more, preferably 6.6 to 61, and more preferably 6.6 to 18; (227) the area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.20 or more, preferably 0.20 to 1.6. (228) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.38 or more, preferably 0.40 or more, preferably 0.38 to 1.6, more preferably 0.40 to 1.6, and one or more of the following conditions are met, preferably two or more, more preferably three or more, and most preferably all of them.

[0160] Here, the GC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the GC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0161] (GC-MS Measurement Method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated pepper (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated pepper is pepper that has been heat-treated with oil, or pepper that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as pepper excluding the oil, amino acids or peptides), 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated pepper (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated pepper is pepper that has been heat-treated with oil, or pepper that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as pepper excluding the oil, amino acids or peptides), 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram. In this case, the heat-treated pepper used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of a pulverized product.

[0162] For the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole and the peak area derived from the components specified in (125) to (128) and (225) to (228), the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram of the ions corresponding to the precise mass of each component described in the examples can be used.

[0163] In certain cases, flavor enhancement, as described above, involves enhancing one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness. However, differences in the heating conditions of heat-treated pepper can lead to differences in the composition and ratio of cyclic dipeptides, and thus the types of flavors that can be enhanced may also differ.

[0164] To impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing saltiness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing saltiness may be added; to impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sweetness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sweetness may be added; to impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sourness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sourness may be added; and to impart to the first disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing bitterness may be added. To enhance the umami flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the umami flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the richness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the richness flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the oiliness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the oiliness flavor can be incorporated. To enhance the milkiness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the milkiness flavor can be incorporated. Furthermore, to enhance multiple stages of flavor among saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first disclosure, a combination of multiple heat-treated peppers can be incorporated depending on the flavor to be enhanced.

[0165] A-2. Method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first disclosure A second aspect of the first disclosure relates to a method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure, comprising: heat-treating pepper to obtain the heat-treated pepper.

[0166] According to this embodiment, a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first embodiment of the first disclosure can be manufactured.

[0167] In the method relating to the second aspect of the first disclosure, the characteristics of the pepper used as a raw material, the heat treatment, etc., may have the characteristics described in the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure. For example, in the method relating to the second aspect of the first disclosure, the heat treatment may have the characteristics of the first form of heat treatment or the second form of heat treatment for obtaining the heat-treated pepper of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure, and the second form of heat treatment may have the characteristics described with respect to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from heating conditions a1), heating conditions b1), and heating conditions c1) for obtaining the heat-treated pepper of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure.

[0168] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may involve using the heat-treated pepper as is for the flavor-enhancing composition, or it may further include preparing the flavor-enhancing composition by combining the heat-treated pepper with other components. Preferred examples of the other components are as described with respect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the first disclosure.

[0169] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may include processing the obtained flavor-enhancing composition into the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, or the like.

[0170] A-3. A method for enhancing the taste using a taste-enhancing composition relating to the first disclosure. The third aspect of the first disclosure relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food, which includes incorporating a taste-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the first disclosure into food.

[0171] The method according to this embodiment can enhance the taste of food, and therefore can be suitably used to enhance the taste of foods containing one or more of the above-mentioned taste components in amounts lower than usual (for example, low-sodium foods with reduced salt content, low-fat foods with reduced fat content, and low-carbohydrate foods with reduced carbohydrate content).

[0172] In the method according to this embodiment, the amount of the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the first disclosure added to the food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted according to the form of the food. Preferably, the flavor-enhancing composition is added at a concentration in which it does not have a taste of its own, but is able to enhance the taste of the food. Specifically, the final concentration of heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) per total amount of food is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of food products with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per the total amount of food product, the final concentration of heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product having a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be formulated such that, per the total amount of food product, the final concentration of heat-treated pepper (calculated as dried pepper) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing saltiness, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for every 100g of salt equivalent in the food, the amount of heat-treated pepper (converted to dried pepper) is, for example, 0.5g or more, preferably 1g or more, preferably 2g or more, more preferably 4g or more, even more preferably 5g or more, for example, 0.5g or more and 100g or less, preferably 1g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 2g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 4g or more and 40g or less, and even more preferably 5g or more and 25g or less.For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food with lipids in a food with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for 100g of lipids in the food, the amount of heat-treated pepper (converted to an amount as dried pepper) is, for example, 0.05g or more, preferably 0.10g or more, more preferably 0.20g or more, even more preferably 0.5g or more, particularly preferably 1.0g or more, for example, 0.05g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.10g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 0.20g or more and 50g or less, even more preferably 0.50g or more and 25g or less, particularly preferably 1.0g or more and 25g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of a food product with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (e.g., chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per 100g of lipids in the food product, the amount of heat-treated pepper (converted to an amount equivalent to dried pepper) is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example, 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, and more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg. For the purpose of enhancing the taste with carbohydrates, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the amount of heat-treated pepper (converted to an amount equivalent to dried pepper) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g to 100g, preferably 0.50g to 70g, more preferably 0.60g to 60g, even more preferably 1g to 50g, particularly preferably 2g to 50g.

[0173] In the method according to this embodiment, the type of food is not limited, but examples include liquid condiments such as curry sauce, stew sauce, soup, beverages, chocolate, and dressings, rice products, meat products, prepared foods, and confectionery. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components in amounts lower than usual. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components, such as salt.

[0174] A-4. Further aspects of the first disclosure of this specification relate to the use of heat-treated pepper for enhancing the flavor of food, methods for enhancing the flavor of food, including incorporating heat-treated pepper into food, and the use of heat-treated pepper in the manufacture of heat-treated pepper for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food, or additives for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food.

[0175] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated pepper preferably has the characteristics described with respect to the heat-treated pepper contained in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the first disclosure.

[0176] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated pepper can preferably be produced by the method for producing heat-treated pepper described in the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second aspect of the first disclosure.

[0177] In the further embodiments, the food preferably has the features described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the first disclosure. In the further embodiments, the amount of heat-treated pepper used in the food, or the amount of salt equivalent, lipids, or carbohydrates used in the food, is preferably the amount described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the first disclosure.

[0178] B. Second Disclosure of This Specification Sections B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 below describe in detail the second disclosure of this Specification.

[0179] B-1. Flavor-enhancing composition relating to the second disclosure The first aspect of the second disclosure relates to a flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated ginger.

[0180] The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can enhance the flavor of food by being incorporated into the food itself. For example, a food containing one or more flavor components in a reduced amount compared to normal (for example, a low-salt food containing salt in a reduced amount compared to normal, a low-fat food containing oil in a reduced amount compared to normal, or a low-carbohydrate food containing carbohydrates in a reduced amount compared to normal) that incorporates the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can have a flavor closer to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts compared to a food that does not contain it, and more preferably, can have a flavor equivalent to that of a food containing one or more flavor components in normal amounts. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure is more preferably a flavor-enhancing composition that enhances the flavor of a food by being incorporated into a food containing salt, such as a low-salt food, a food containing lipids, such as a low-carbohydrate food, or a food containing carbohydrates, such as a low-carbohydrate food. As shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3, cyclic dipeptides have the effect of enhancing the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods. As will be described later, heat-treated ginger contains more cyclic dipeptides than raw ginger, so the taste-enhancing composition of the second disclosure can be a taste-enhancing composition that enhances the taste (greasy feel) of foods containing oils and fats when incorporated into such foods.

[0181] In the second disclosure, ginger generally refers to the dried rhizome, which is used as a spice. To distinguish the ginger used as a raw material from heat-treated ginger, it may be referred to as "raw ginger." As raw ginger, one or more selected from unground ginger (dried rhizome) and ground ginger can be used. As ground ginger, any ground product of dried rhizome is acceptable, and the particle size is not particularly limited; it may be coarsely ground or powdered ginger.

[0182] The raw material ginger may be a mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides. By heating the mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides, heat-treated ginger can be obtained that has a particularly high effect in enhancing the richness of the flavor. The amino acids or peptides are preferably one or more amino acids selected from alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids. In specific examples, the amino acids or peptides mixed with ginger are preferably one or more amino acids selected from proline, methionine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and histidine, or peptides containing the above amino acids as constituent amino acids, and are particularly preferably the above amino acids. In a mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides, the blending ratio of ginger to amino acids or peptides is not particularly limited, but for every 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis), the total amount of amino acids or peptides can be, for example, 0.5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less, more specifically 1 part by mass or more and 15 parts by mass or less, and more specifically 2 parts by mass or more and 10 parts by mass or less. The amino acids can be L-forms, D-forms, or mixtures of L-forms and D-forms, for example, L-forms can be used.

[0183] The heat-treated ginger in the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure is preferably in powder form, and the particle size is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1000 μm or less, preferably 500 μm or less. Here, the particle size can be determined by the mesh size of a standard sieve specified in JIS. The powdered heat-treated ginger may be powdered before or after the heat treatment. The heat-treated ginger in the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may be provided in the form of a mixture of heat-treated ginger and oil. The mixture may be solid at room temperature or liquid at room temperature, depending on the melting point of the oil.

[0184] The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may consist solely of heat-treated ginger, or it may contain heat-treated ginger and other components. Examples of other components include one or more components having a flavor-enhancing effect, or one or more components that are acceptable as food. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may contain heat-treated ginger in a proportion of preferably 5% to 100% by mass, more preferably 10% to 100% by mass, even more preferably 15% to 100% by mass, and most preferably 50% to 100% by mass, on a dry basis. The flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure may be in the form of powder, granules, paste, liquid, etc., and may contain one or more food-acceptable components, such as excipients and carriers, as necessary to achieve the desired form.

[0185] Next, a preferred embodiment of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated ginger will be described.

[0186] The first form of the heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated ginger may be a heat treatment under conditions where the heating value is, for example, 5 or more, specifically 10 or more, more specifically 30 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 150 or more, for example 5 to 400,000, specifically 10 to 400,000, more specifically 30 to 400,000, preferably 100 to 400,000, more preferably 150 to 200,000, even more preferably 150 to 50,000, and particularly preferably 150 to 20,000. Ginger heat-treated under conditions where the heating value is within this range is preferred because it has a high effect of enhancing the flavor. The temperature and time in the heat treatment of the first form can be appropriately set so that the heating value is within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, specifically 105°C or higher, more specifically 110°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 125°C or higher, and can be, for example, 100°C to 400°C, specifically 105°C to 400°C, more specifically 110°C to 400°C, preferably 120°C to 350°C, more preferably 125°C to 320°C. The time in the heat treatment of the first embodiment can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, more preferably 10 minutes or more, particularly preferably 15 minutes or more, for example, 2 minutes to 90 minutes, preferably 5 minutes to 70 minutes, more preferably 10 minutes to 50 minutes, particularly preferably 15 minutes to 40 minutes. The heat treatment of the first embodiment may be carried out in an open system or a closed system. The raw ginger used in the first heat treatment may be a mixture of water, oil, amino acids, and peptides, or it may consist solely of raw ginger.

[0187] A second form of heat treatment for preparing the heat-treated ginger may be heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

[0188] Ginger heat-treated under the aforementioned "a2) open system conditions" (sometimes referred to as "heating conditions a2") is preferred because it enhances the flavor. In heating conditions a2), an open system refers to an environment that is not sealed and in which volatile components, including moisture and aromatic components, can volatilize into the surrounding atmosphere during heat treatment. Examples of heat treatment devices that can be used for heat treatment in an open system include roasters equipped with open containers such as flat kettles, rotary cylindrical kettles, and pots, as well as ovens with open interiors, hot air roasters, and superheated steam stirring and mixing sterilization devices. Such heat treatment in an open system can be referred to as "roasting." Heat treatment in an open system can be carried out under non-pressurized conditions.

[0189] The heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a2) is, for example, 5 or more, specifically 10 or more, more specifically 30 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 1000 or more, even more preferably 3000 or more, and particularly preferably 5000 or more. For example, it can be 5 to 400000, specifically 10 to 400000, more specifically 30 to 200000, preferably 100 to 100000, more preferably 1000 to 50000, even more preferably 3000 to 20000, particularly preferably 5000 to 15000, and particularly preferably 5000 to 10000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition a2) within the above range, heat-treated ginger with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0190] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) are preferably set appropriately so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature is such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, a temperature above 100°C, particularly above 110°C, for example 105°C or higher, specifically 110°C or higher, more specifically 115°C or higher, preferably 130°C or higher, more preferably 150°C or higher, even more preferably 165°C or higher, particularly preferably 180°C or higher, and most preferably 200°C or higher. For example, it can be between 100°C and 400°C, specifically 105°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more specifically 110°C or higher and 400°C or lower, particularly specifically between 110°C and 400°C or lower, preferably 115°C or higher and 400°C or lower, more preferably 130°C or higher and 380°C or lower, more preferably 1500°C or higher and 360°C or lower, even more preferably 165°C or higher and 340°C or lower, particularly preferably 180°C or higher and 320°C or lower, and most preferably 200°C or higher and 300°C or lower. The time for the heat treatment under heating condition a2) can be adjusted as appropriate so that the heating value falls within the above range, for example, 3 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, more preferably 5 minutes or more, even more preferably 8 minutes or more, most preferably 10 minutes or more, for example, 3 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less, preferably 4 minutes or more and 90 minutes or less, more preferably 5 minutes or more and 60 minutes or less, even more preferably 8 minutes or more and 50 minutes or less, most preferably 10 minutes or more and 40 minutes or less.

[0191] The form of the raw ginger used in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) is not particularly limited, but preferably it is one or more selected from unground ginger and ground ginger, and more preferably unground ginger. The raw ginger used in the heat treatment under heating condition a2) may be ginger alone, or it may be a mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition a2), oil and / or water may be added to the raw ginger, or not, but it is particularly preferable not to add them.

[0192] Ginger heat-treated under the conditions described in "b2) where oil is present" (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating condition b2") is preferred because it has a high effect of enhancing flavor. The oil is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible oil derived from plants, animals, etc. that is acceptable as food. The oil may have its melting point adjusted by techniques such as transesterification or hydrogenation of fatty acids. The amount of oil used in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) is not particularly limited, but for example, for 100 parts by mass (on a dry basis), for example, 5 parts by mass or more and 500 parts by mass or less, preferably 50 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 75 parts by mass or more and 150 parts by mass or less of oil can be used.

[0193] The heating treatment under heating condition b2) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 100 or more, preferably 120 or more, more preferably 150 or more, for example 100 to 800,000, preferably 120 to 400,000, more preferably 150 to 200,000, even more preferably 150 to 10,000, particularly preferably 150 to 5,000, and most preferably 150 to 1,000. By setting the heating value of the heating treatment under heating condition b2) within the above range, heat-treated ginger with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0194] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 120°C or higher, more preferably 130°C or higher, and even more preferably 145°C or higher, and can be such as 100°C to 300°C, preferably 120°C to 280°C, more preferably 130°C to 250°C, and even more preferably 145°C to 230°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be, for example, 2 minutes or more, preferably 4 minutes or more, and can be such as 2 minutes to 40 minutes, and even more preferably 4 minutes to 25 minutes.

[0195] The heat treatment under heating condition b2) can be carried out in either an open or closed system, and can be performed by heating with superheated steam or heating with an oven. Examples of heating devices used for the heat treatment under heating condition b2) include ovens, flat-pan roasters, vertical heating mixers, and microwave heating devices.

[0196] The form of ginger heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) is not particularly limited, but preferably one or more selected from unground ginger and ground ginger. The ginger heated with oil in the heat treatment under heating condition b2) may be ginger alone, or it may be a mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides.

[0197] Ginger that has been heat-treated under the aforementioned "c2) pressurized and sealed conditions" (which may be referred to as "heating conditions c2") is preferable because it has a high effect in enhancing the flavor.

[0198] The heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be performed by setting the temperature and time so that the heating value is, for example, 50 or more, preferably 100 or more, more preferably 120 or more, even more preferably 150 or more, for example, 50 to 2000, preferably 100 to 2000, even more preferably 120 to 1500, and even more preferably 150 to 1000. By setting the heating value of the heat treatment under heating condition c2) within the above range, heat-treated ginger with a particularly high flavor-enhancing effect can be obtained.

[0199] The temperature and time in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be appropriately set so that the heating value falls within the above range. The temperature in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be such that the maximum temperature reached is, for example, 100°C or higher, preferably 110°C or higher, more preferably 120°C or higher, and even more preferably 125°C or higher, for example, 100°C to 200°C, preferably 110°C to 180°C, more preferably 120°C to 160°C, and even more preferably 125°C to 150°C. The time in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be, for example, 10 minutes or more, preferably 15 minutes or more, more preferably 20 minutes or more, for example, 10 minutes to 120 minutes, preferably 15 minutes to 100 minutes, more preferably 20 minutes to 60 minutes, and even more preferably 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

[0200] The heat treatment under heating condition c2) can be carried out under pressure conditions where the gauge pressure is preferably 0.05 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.15 MPa or higher, preferably 0.05 MPa to 0.60 MPa, and more preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.40 MPa.

[0201] Examples of heating devices used for pressurized sealed heating under heating condition c2) include pressurized sealed kettles and retort-type sterilizers. Heat treatment under heating condition c2) using a retort-type sterilizer may involve placing the raw ginger in a soft, heat-resistant bag (for example, a bag made of aluminum foil laminated resin sheet), sealing it, and heating it under pressurized conditions.

[0202] The form of the raw ginger used in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) is not particularly limited, but preferably it is one or more selected from unground ginger and ground ginger, and preferably ground ginger. The raw ginger used in the heat treatment under heating condition c2) may be ginger alone, or it may be a mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides. In the heat treatment under heating condition c2), oil and / or water may be added to the raw ginger, or not.

[0203] In a preferred embodiment, the heat-treated ginger obtained by subjecting ginger to the heat treatment described in the first or second embodiment has an increased amount of one or more compounds selected from the following: cyclic dipeptides, 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, pyroglutamic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid, quinic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, furaneol, 2-furfurylthiol, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, furfuryl alcohol, 2-acetylfuran, hydroxymethylfurfural, phellandral, perillaldehyde, nerolidol, carveol, pyrrole-2-carboxyaldehyde, and 2-acetylpyrrole, compared to the ginger before heating. The inventors have found that the amount of the compounds contained in the heat-treated ginger correlates with the strength of its flavor-enhancing effect.

[0204] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure, the heat-treated ginger is to be to which 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone are added, and in the chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, (301) the sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.8 or more, preferably 3.0 or more, preferably 2.8 to 47, and more preferably 3.0 to 47, and (302) the sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more, preferably 2.8 or more, preferably 2.4 to 14, and more preferably 2.8 to 12. (303) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more, preferably 2.6 to 13, more preferably 2.6 to 8.4, (304) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing asparagine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.89 or more, preferably 1.0 or more, preferably 0.89 to 4.5, more preferably 1.0 to 3.6, (305) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.8 or more, preferably 3.8 to 30, more preferably 3.8 to 18, (306) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glutamine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, preferably 1.2 to 17, more preferably 1.2 to 15, (307) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing glycine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, preferably 1.5 or more, preferably 1.4 to 11, and more preferably 1.5 to 11.(308) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the histidine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.8 or more, preferably 3.8 or more and 18 or less, more preferably 3.8 or more and 17 or less; (309) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.9 or more, preferably 5.9 or more and 30 or less, more preferably 5.9 or more and 23 or less; (310) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.3 or more, preferably 1.4 or more, preferably 1.3 or more and 9.1 or less, more preferably 1.4 or more and 9.1 or less; (311) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the methionine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, preferably 1.9 or more, preferably 1.8 or more and 9.3 or less, more preferably 1.9 or more and 9.3 or less; (312) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.2 or more, preferably 3.6 or more, preferably 3.2 to 14, more preferably 3.6 to 11; (313) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing proline to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.3 or more, preferably 11 or more, preferably 9.3 to 58, more preferably 11 to 48; (314) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing serine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, preferably 1.1 to 6.4, more preferably 1.1 to 2.6; (315) The total area ratio of the peak area derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing threonine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 8.4 or more, preferably 9.5 or more, preferably 8.4 to 34, more preferably 9.5 to 26;(316) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.64 or more, preferably 0.65 or more, preferably 0.64 to 2.2, and more preferably 0.65 to 2.2; (317) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing tyrosine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, preferably 2.4 or more, preferably 2.1 to 10, and more preferably 2.4 to 6.8; (318) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the cyclic dipeptide containing valine to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.1 or more, preferably 3.1 to 29, and more preferably 3.1 to 22; (319) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.010 or more, preferably 0.013 or more, preferably 0.013 to 2.0, and more preferably 0.010 to 2.0; (320) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 19 or more, preferably 19 to 97; (321) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ascorbic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.25 or more, preferably 0.25 to 3.6, and more preferably 0.25 to 1.4; (322) The area ratio of the peak area derived from tartaric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 1.2 or more, preferably 1.2 to 49; (323) The area ratio of the peak area derived from quinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.70 or more, preferably 0.78 or more, preferably 0.70 to 8.4, and more preferably 0.78 to 7.9. (324) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 810 or more, preferably 810 to 6600, and more preferably 810 to 4800.(325) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 100 or more, preferably 100 or more and 1400 or less, and of the above, 1 or more, preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, even more preferably 20 or more, and most preferably all of the above are satisfied.

[0205] Here, the LC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the LC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0206] A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the aforementioned heat-treated ginger (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated ginger is ginger that has been heat-treated with oil, or ginger that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as ginger excluding the oil, amino acids or peptides) and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone per 200 mg of the aforementioned heat-treated ginger (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated ginger is ginger that has been heat-treated with oil, or ginger that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as ginger excluding the oil, amino acids or peptides) are added, and after stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare a sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram. Here, the heat-treated ginger used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of a pulverized material.

[0207] Caffeine-d9 is the internal standard in positive mode. Caffeine-d9 and each of the compounds described in (301) to (320) above are separated by LC and detected as [M+H] ions in positive mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M+H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratio defined in (301) to (320) above can be calculated.

[0208] L-methionine sulfone is the internal standard in negative mode. L-methionine sulfone and each of the compounds described in (321) to (325) above are separated by LC and detected as [M-H] ions in negative mode by MS, and the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram with m / z values ​​corresponding to the precise mass of the [M-H] ions described in the examples is determined. From the obtained peak area, the peak area ratio specified in (321) to (325) above can be calculated.

[0209] The alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (301) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Alanine (Ala)" in Table 23.

[0210] The cyclic dipeptide containing arginine in (302) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Arginine (Arg)" row of Table 23.

[0211] The cyclic dipeptide containing aspartic acid in (303) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Aspartic acid (Asp)" in Table 23.

[0212] The asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (304) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Asparagine (Asn)" row of Table 23.

[0213] The glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide in (305) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Glutamic Acid (Glu)" in Table 23.

[0214] The glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (306) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Glutamine (Gln)" row of Table 23.

[0215] The cyclic dipeptide containing glycine in (307) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Gly" in Table 23.

[0216] The histidine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (308) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Histidine (His)" in Table 23.

[0217] The leucine or isoleucine in (309) above is typically a cyclic dipeptide as shown in the row for "Leucine / Isoleucine (Leu / Ile)" in Table 23.

[0218] The lysine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (310) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Lys" row of Table 23.

[0219] The cyclic dipeptide containing methionine in (311) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Methionine (Met)" in Table 23.

[0220] The cyclic dipeptide containing phenylalanine in (312) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Phenylalanine (Phe)" in Table 23.

[0221] The cyclic dipeptide containing proline in (313) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Proline (Pro)" in Table 23.

[0222] The serine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (314) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the "Serine (Ser)" row of Table 23.

[0223] The cyclic dipeptide containing threonine in (315) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Threonine (Thr)" in Table 23.

[0224] The cyclic dipeptide containing tryptophan in (316) is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tryptophan (Trp)" in Table 23.

[0225] The tyrosine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (317) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Tyrosine (Tyr)" in Table 23.

[0226] The valine-containing cyclic dipeptide in (318) above is typically the cyclic dipeptide listed in the row for "Valine (Val)" in Table 23.

[0227] In a preferred embodiment of the flavor-enhancing composition of the second disclosure, the heat-treated ginger is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated ginger and, in the chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, the area ratio of the peak area derived from (326) furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.063 or more, preferably 0.075 or more, preferably 0.063 to 1.4, and more preferably 0.075 to 0.30, and the area ratio of the peak area derived from (327) 2-furfurylthiol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.15 or more, preferably 0.15 to 0.98, and more preferably 0.15 to 0.90. (328) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more, preferably 0.24 or more, preferably 0.19 or more and 1.3 or less, more preferably 0.24 or more and 1.2 or less, (329) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 5-methylfurfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.039 or more, preferably 0.042 or more, preferably 0.039 or more and 0.21 or less, more preferably 0.042 or more and 0.15 or less, (330) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfuryl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more, preferably 0.18 or more, preferably 0.17 or more and 1.0 or less, more preferably 0.18 or more and 0.92 or less, (331) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.12 or more, preferably 0.12 or more and 0.42 or less, more preferably 0.12 or more and 0.27 or less, and (332) The area ratio of the peak area derived from hydroxymethylfurfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.39 or more, preferably 0.45 or more, preferably 0.39 or more and 3.6 or less, more preferably 0.45 or more and 3.6 or less,(333) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.56 or more, preferably 0.64 or more, preferably 0.56 to 2.0, and more preferably 0.64 to 1.7; (334) The area ratio of the peak area derived from perillaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.93 or more, preferably 0.99 or more, preferably 0.93 to 3.9, and more preferably 0.99 to 2.8; (335) The area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 8.3 or more, preferably 8.6 or more, preferably 8.3 to 51, and more preferably 8.6 to 38; (336) The area ratio of the peak area derived from carveol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.079 or more, preferably 0.079 or more and 2.8 or less, more preferably 0.079 or more and 0.40 or less; (337) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyrrole-2-carboxyaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.10 or more, preferably 0.16 or more, preferably 0.10 or more and 1.4 or less, more preferably 0.16 or more and 1.4 or less; (338) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylpyrrole to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more, preferably 0.23 or more, preferably 0.19 or more and 1.4 or less, more preferably 0.23 or more and 1.0 or less. One or more of these, preferably five or more, more preferably 10 or more, and most preferably all of them are satisfied.

[0228] Here, the GC-MS measurement method is as follows, and more preferably, the GC-MS measurement method described in the examples.

[0229] (GC-MS Measurement Method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated ginger (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated ginger is ginger that has been heat-treated with oil, or ginger that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as ginger excluding the oil, amino acids or peptides), 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated ginger (on a dry weight basis; if the heat-treated ginger is ginger that has been heat-treated with oil, or ginger that has been heat-treated with amino acids or peptides, the converted mass is calculated as ginger excluding the oil, amino acids or peptides), 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram. In this case, the heat-treated ginger used as the analytical sample is preferably in the form of a pulverized product.

[0230] For the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole and the peak area derived from the components specified in (326) to (338) above, the peak area of ​​the extracted ion chromatogram of the ions corresponding to the precise mass of each component described in the examples can be used, respectively.

[0231] In certain cases, flavor enhancement, as described above, involves enhancing one or more flavors selected from saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness. However, differences in the heating conditions of heat-treated ginger can lead to differences in the composition and ratio of cyclic dipeptides, and thus the types of flavors that can be enhanced may also differ.

[0232] To impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing saltiness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing saltiness may be incorporated; to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sweetness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sweetness may be incorporated; to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing sourness, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions having an effect of enhancing sourness may be incorporated; and to impart to the second disclosure a flavor-enhancing composition an effect of enhancing bitterness may be incorporated. To enhance the umami flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the umami flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the richness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the richness flavor can be incorporated; to enhance the oiliness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the oiliness flavor can be incorporated; and to enhance the milkiness flavor, a flavor-enhancing composition produced by one or more heating conditions that enhance the milkiness flavor can be incorporated. Furthermore, in order to enhance multiple stages of flavor among saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure, multiple heat-treated ginger can be combined and incorporated according to the flavor to be enhanced.

[0233] B-2. Method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second disclosure The second aspect of the second disclosure relates to a method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the second disclosure, comprising: heat-treating ginger to obtain the heat-treated ginger.

[0234] According to this embodiment, a flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first embodiment of the second disclosure can be manufactured.

[0235] In the method relating to the second aspect of the second disclosure, the characteristics of the ginger used as a raw material, the heat treatment, etc., may have the characteristics described in the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure. For example, in the method relating to the second aspect of the second disclosure, the heat treatment may have the characteristics of the first form of heat treatment or the second form of heat treatment for obtaining the heat-treated ginger of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure. The second form of heat treatment may have the characteristics described with respect to a heat treatment under one or more conditions selected from heating conditions a2), heating conditions b2), and heating conditions c2) for obtaining the heat-treated ginger of the flavor-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure.

[0236] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may involve using the heat-treated ginger as is for the flavor-enhancing composition, or it may further include preparing the flavor-enhancing composition by combining the heat-treated ginger with other components. Preferred examples of the other components are as described with respect to the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the second disclosure.

[0237] The method for producing the flavor-enhancing composition according to this embodiment may include processing the obtained flavor-enhancing composition into the form of a powder, granules, paste, liquid, or the like.

[0238] B-3. ​​Method for enhancing taste using the taste-enhancing composition relating to the second disclosure The third aspect of the second disclosure relates to a method for enhancing the taste of food, which includes incorporating the taste-enhancing composition relating to the first aspect of the second disclosure into food.

[0239] The method according to this embodiment can enhance the taste of the food itself, and is therefore suitable for enhancing the taste of foods containing one or more taste components in amounts lower than usual (for example, low-sodium foods with less salt than usual, low-fat foods containing less oil than usual, and low-carbohydrate foods with less carbohydrates than usual).

[0240] In the method according to this embodiment, the amount of the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first embodiment of the second disclosure added to the food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted according to the form of the food. Preferably, the flavor-enhancing composition is added at a concentration in which it does not have a taste of its own, but is able to enhance the taste of the food. Specifically, the final concentration of heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) per total amount of food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of food products with a lipid content of less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that the final concentration of heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) per total amount of food product is, for example, 0.005% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less, preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less. When the aforementioned flavor-enhancing composition is used to enhance the flavor of a food product having a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (for example, chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be formulated such that, per the total amount of food product, the final concentration of heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is, for example, 0.002% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, preferably 0.004% by mass or more and 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.005% by mass or more and 0.008% by mass or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing saltiness, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, for every 100g of salt equivalent in the food, the amount of heat-treated ginger (converted to an amount equivalent to dried ginger) is, for example, 0.5g or more, preferably 1g or more, preferably 2g or more, more preferably 4g or more, even more preferably 5g or more, for example, 0.5g or more and 100g or less, preferably 1g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 2g or more and 50g or less, particularly preferably 4g or more and 40g or less, and even more preferably 5g or more and 25g or less.For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of food containing less than 20% by mass, the taste-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per 100g of lipids in the food, the amount of heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is, for example, 0.05g or more, preferably 0.10g or more, more preferably 0.20g or more, even more preferably 0.5g or more, particularly preferably 1.0g or more, for example, 0.05g or more and 100g or less, preferably 0.10g or more and 75g or less, more preferably 0.20g or more and 50g or less, even more preferably 0.50g or more and 25g or less, particularly preferably 1.0g or more and 25g or less. For example, for the purpose of enhancing the taste of a food product with a lipid content of 20% by mass or more (e.g., chocolate), the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended such that, per 100g of lipids in the food product, the amount of heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is, for example, 1.0 mg or more, preferably 3.0 mg or more, for example 1.0 mg to 45 mg, preferably 3.0 mg to 30 mg, and more preferably 5.0 mg to 20 mg. For the purpose of enhancing the taste with carbohydrates, the flavor-enhancing composition can be blended so that, for every 100g of carbohydrates in the food, the amount of heat-treated ginger (calculated as dried ginger) is, for example, 0.20g or more, preferably 0.50g or more, more preferably 0.60g or more, even more preferably 1g or more, particularly preferably 2g or more, for example, 0.20g to 100g, preferably 0.50g to 70g, more preferably 0.60g to 60g, even more preferably 1g to 50g, particularly preferably 2g to 50g.

[0241] In the method according to this embodiment, the type of food is not limited, but examples include liquid condiments such as curry sauce, stew sauce, soup, beverages, chocolate, and dressings, rice products, meat products, prepared foods, and confectionery. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components in amounts lower than usual. The food may contain one or more of the above-mentioned flavor components, such as salt.

[0242] B-4. Further aspects of the second disclosure of this specification relate to the use of heat-treated ginger to enhance the flavor of food, methods for enhancing the flavor of food, including incorporating heat-treated ginger into food, and the use of heat-treated ginger in the manufacture of heat-treated ginger for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food, or additives for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of food.

[0243] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated ginger preferably has the characteristics described with respect to the heat-treated ginger contained in the flavor-enhancing composition according to the first aspect of the second disclosure.

[0244] In the further embodiments described above, the heat-treated ginger can preferably be produced by the method for producing heat-treated ginger described in the method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to the second aspect of the second disclosure.

[0245] In the further embodiments, the food preferably has the features described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the second disclosure. In the further embodiments, the amount of heat-treated ginger used in the food, or the amount of salt equivalent, lipids, or carbohydrates used in the food, is preferably the amount described in relation to the method according to the third aspect of the second disclosure.

[0246] Experiment 1 below relates to the first disclosure of this specification.

[0247] Experiment 2, described below, relates to the second disclosure of this specification.

[0248] 1. Experiment 1: Flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated pepper

[0249] 1.1. Heat treatment of pepper

[0250] (1) Heat Value The heat value is obtained by integrating the value expressed by the formula (hereinafter referred to as the "CV value") with respect to the heating time (minutes).

[0251] (Formula): CV value = 10 [(product temperature - reference temperature) / Z value] In this specification, "reference temperature" is 110°C and "Z value" is 30°C. "Product temperature" refers to the temperature of the object being heated during the heat treatment.

[0252] (2) Preparation of heat-treated pepper The pepper was heat-treated under the conditions shown in the table below. The definition of the heat value is as previously described. The temperature and time listed in the processing conditions column are the theoretical maximum temperature reached and the holding time (however, in the case of oven heating, the oven setting time and total heating time), but the temperature measured over time with a temperature sensor was used to calculate the heat value. Therefore, the heat value reflects the change in temperature over time, including the temperature and time during temperature rise and fall.

[0253]

[0254] Comparative Example 1-1 used unpasteurized black pepper ground into a powder for evaluation and analysis.

[0255] Comparative Examples 1 and 2 used powdered black pepper, which had been sterilized using a general method (122°C, airflow sterilization), for evaluation and analysis.

[0256] The pressurized sealed heating in Example 1-1 was carried out according to the following procedure. 50 g of whole black pepper was filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 130°C for 30 minutes and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was carried out under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa. The powder obtained by grinding after heating was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0257] Oven heating for Examples 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-6, 1-7, and 1-8 was carried out according to the following procedure. 10 g of whole black pepper was placed on an aluminum tray and heated in an oven set to 230°C (Example 1-2), 110°C (Example 1-3), 130°C (Example 1-4), 150°C (Example 1-6), 170°C (Example 1-7), or 190°C (Example 1-8) for 5.5 minutes (Example 1-2), 110 minutes (Example 1-3), 25 minutes (Example 1-4), 20 minutes (Example 1-6), or 9 minutes (Examples 1-7, 1-8). The temperature of the product was measured by inserting a sensor thermometer into the oven. After heating, the product was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The powdered product, which was crushed after heating, was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0258] The oil roasting in Examples 1-5 was carried out according to the following procedure. In Examples 1-5, unheated whole black peppercorns were crushed into powder. 100 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 100 g of the black pepper powder was mixed in. The resulting mixture was heated to 150°C while stirring, held at this temperature for 5 minutes, and then cooled. Cooling was carried out while stirring to prevent the black pepper powder from separating in the mixture until it reached approximately 60°C, and then in a freezer until it solidified. The resulting oil-roasted products were used for evaluation and analysis.

[0259] Comparative Example 2-1 used unsterilized white pepper powder for evaluation and analysis.

[0260] Comparative Example 2-2 used a powder made from white pepper that had been sterilized using a general method (132°C, airflow sterilization), which was then ground into a powder for evaluation and analysis.

[0261] The pressurized, sealed, and heated samples in Examples 2-1 and 2-2 were prepared using the following procedure. 50 g of ground white pepper (Example 2-1) or whole white pepper (Example 2-2) was placed in an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was then heated in a retort sterilizer at 130°C for 30 minutes and cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was carried out under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa. Whole white pepper was ground into a powder after heating and used for evaluation and analysis.

[0262] Oven heating for Examples 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-7, 2-8, and 2-9 was carried out according to the following procedure. 10g of whole white pepper was placed on an aluminum tray and heated in an oven set to 230°C (Example 2-3), 110°C (Example 2-4), 130°C (Example 2-5), 150°C (Example 2-7), 170°C (Example 2-8), and 190°C (Example 2-9) for 5.5 minutes (Example 2-3), 110 minutes (Example 2-4), 25 minutes (Example 2-5), 20 minutes (Example 2-7), and 9 minutes (Examples 2-8 and 2-9). The temperature of the product was measured by inserting a sensor thermometer into the oven. After heating, the product was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The powdered product, which was crushed after heating, was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0263] The oil roasting in Example 2-6 was carried out according to the following procedure. Unheated whole white peppercorns were crushed into powder. 100 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 100 g of the white pepper powder was mixed in. The resulting mixture was heated to 150°C while stirring, held at this temperature for 5 minutes, and then cooled. Cooling was carried out while stirring until the white pepper powder did not separate in the mixture up to about 60°C, and then in a freezer until solidified. The resulting oil-roasted product was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0264] The pressurized, sealed oil heating method in Example 2-10 was performed using the following procedure. 30 g of general sterilized (122°C, air-fed sterilization) white pepper powder and 70 g of rapeseed oil were filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 123°C for 15 minutes and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was performed under a gauge pressure of 0.15 MPa. The obtained pressurized, sealed oil heating product was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0265] 1.2. Enhancement of flavor by heat treatment of pepper (1) (1) Preparation of regular curry roux 20g of wheat flour and 30g of beef fat were placed in a pot and heated and stirred at 120°C to make wheat flour roux.

[0266] To this wheat flour roux, 10g of salt, 10g of sugar, 10g of cornstarch, 5g of curry powder, and 15g of other seasoning ingredients (vegetable / fruit extract, yeast extract, seafood extract) were added, and after heating to 105°C, it was cooled and solidified to create a block-shaped, standard curry roux.

[0267] The salt content of this curry roux was 10.6g per 100g.

[0268] (2) Preparation of reduced-sodium curry roux A reduced-sodium curry roux was prepared using the same procedure as the regular curry roux described in (1) above, except that the amount of salt was reduced to 7g.

[0269] The sodium chloride content of this reduced-sodium curry roux was 7.7g per 100g. Foods containing sodium chloride (salt) have not only a salty taste, but also sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, and milkiness, and reduced-sodium foods tend to have weaker tastes in these various aspects. For this reason, reduced-sodium foods such as the reduced-sodium curry roux used in this experiment are useful as an evaluation system for taste enhancement.

[0270] (3) Sensory evaluation One sample was prepared by dissolving 44 g of the regular curry roux from (1) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring.

[0271] Multiple solutions were prepared by dissolving 44 g of the reduced-sodium curry roux described in (2) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring. To one of these solutions, a comparative example or example sample of heat-treated black pepper or white pepper was added to achieve a final concentration of 0.1% by mass. In this test system, 10.1 g of the comparative example or example sample of heat-treated black pepper or white pepper was added for every 100 g of sodium chloride equivalent in the hot water diluted solution of reduced-sodium curry roux.

[0272] The taste of the reduced-sodium curry roux (dissolved in hot water) and the regular curry roux (dissolved in hot water) was compared, and evaluated by three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) or two evaluators (evaluators 1 and 2) according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0273] The taste-enhancing effect was assigned a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points as follows. The taste of each sample was evaluated by three or two evaluators in 0.1-point increments, and the average score was calculated.

[0274] 1 point: Taste similar to reduced-sodium curry roux. 2 points: Slightly stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 3 points: Stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 4 points: Significantly stronger taste than reduced-sodium curry roux. 5 points: Taste similar to regular curry roux.

[0275] When samples of comparative examples or examples of heat-treated black pepper or white pepper were added, the evaluators evaluated which of the following tastes was enhanced: saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, or milkiness, marking each with an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement effect on the corresponding taste.

[0276] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0277]

[0278] 1.3. Component Analysis The components contained in the comparative examples and example samples (pepper samples) of heat-treated black pepper or white pepper were analyzed using the following procedure.

[0279] 1.3.1. Component Analysis by LC-MS (1) Preparation of LC-MS Sample A 200 mg sample of pepper (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass calculated as spice excluding the oil) was taken into a 15 mL test tube, and 7.5 mL of ultrapure water was added and mixed well. The test tube was heated in a constant temperature water bath set to 75°C for 10 minutes, then the test tube was stirred at 2,500 rpm for 10 minutes using a benchtop high-speed shaker, and allowed to stand until it reached room temperature. 2.5 mL of acetonitrile (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) was added to the test tube, and caffeine-d9 (Kanto Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard for the positive mode, and L-methionine sulfone (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard for the negative mode. To a pepper sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample was heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass calculated as spice excluding the oil), caffeine-d9 and L-methionine sulfone were added at a concentration of 5 μg / g each. The test tube was stirred in a benchtop high-speed shaker at room temperature at 2,500 rpm for 10 minutes, and after centrifugation, 0.5 mL of the solution in the test tube was transferred to an ultrafiltration filter (Nanosep centrifugal filtration device 3K, Nippon Pall). The ultrafiltration filter was centrifuged at room temperature at 15,000 rpm for 30 minutes, and then 0.75 mL of ultrapure water and 0.25 mL of acetonitrile were added to the filtrate below the filter and vortexed for 10 seconds. The solution after loading onto a 0.2 μm filter was used as the LC-MS sample (n=3).

[0280] (2) LC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for LC-orbitrap-MS are shown below. Analytical equipment: LC: Vanquish Flex (Thermo Fisher Scientific) MS: ID-X (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Analytical column: Unison UK-C18, 3 μm [particle size], 250 mm [length] x 4.6 mm [inner diameter] (Imtakt) LC conditions: Column temperature: 40°C Injection volume: 5 μL Mode: ESI positive, ESI negative Flow rate: 0.3 mL / min Mobile phase: Solution A 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (formic acid: LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) Solution B 0.1% formic acid / acetonitrile (LCMS grade, Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) Mobile phase composition - Analysis time 68 minutes

[0281]

[0282] MS conditions: Ion source temperature: 230°C. Monitoring ions: As shown in the table below.

[0283] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the LC-MS ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard). In the table below, A1 and A2 represent the two amino acids that make up each cyclic dipeptide. For cyclic dipeptides, the result of summing the peak area ratios for each bound amino acid is listed.

[0284]

[0285]

[0286]

[0287] 1.3.2. Component Analysis by GC-MS (1) Preparation of GC-MS Sample 25 mg of pepper sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass converted to that of spice excluding the oil) was taken into a 10 mL test tube, and 4 mL of acetone (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) and 4 mL of methanol (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) were added. 4-methylthiazole (Tokyo Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard at a concentration of 4 μg / g relative to the pepper sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass converted to that of spice excluding the oil) in the test tube, and the test tube was stirred at room temperature, 2,500 rpm, for 10 minutes. After stirring, centrifugation was performed, and after centrifugation, 0.1 mL of the solution in the test tube was taken into a GC-MS vial, and 1 mL of acetone was added to prepare the GC-MS sample (n=3).

[0288] (2) GC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for GC-orbitrap-MS are shown below.

[0289] Analytical equipment: GC: TRACE1310 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) MS: QExactiveGC (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Analytical column: TG-WAXMS [Length] 60m [Inner diameter] 0.25mm [Film thickness] 0.25μm (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Autosampler: TRIPLUS RSH (Thermo Fisher Scientific) GC conditions: Injection method: Liquid injection, splitless Injection volume: 1μL Gas: Helium, 120kPa (pressure) Injection port temperature: 240℃ Oven temperature: 40°C (hold for 1 minute) - 10°C / min - 110°C - 2°C / min - 180°C - 3°C / min - 220°C - 30°C / min - 250°C (hold for 5.5 minutes), total 63 minutes MS conditions: Transfer temperature: 240°C Ion source temperature: 230°C Ionization method: Electron ionization (EI) method, EI positive MS scan: m / z 30-250 Monitoring ions: As shown in the table below.

[0290] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the GC-MS chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard).

[0291]

[0292] 1.3.3. Results 1.3.3.1. Results for Black Pepper The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the samples of the examples or comparative examples of heat-treated black pepper are shown in Table 8 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 8. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 9.

[0293]

[0294]

[0295] The table below shows the peak area ratios of aroma components and organic acids relative to the internal standard for the examples and comparative examples of heat-treated black pepper samples.

[0296]

[0297] 1.3.3.2. Results for White Pepper The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the samples of the examples or comparative examples of heat-treated white pepper are shown in Table 11 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 11. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 12. The samples from Examples 2-10 were not analyzed.

[0298]

[0299]

[0300]

[0301] 1.4. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Pepper (2) 1.4.1. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Black Pepper The flavor-enhancing effect of the heat-treated black pepper (oven roasted at 170°C for 9 minutes) from Examples 1-7 on the flavor of several food items was confirmed.

[0302] (1) Reduced-sodium fried rice A commercially available frozen reduced-sodium fried rice was prepared according to the instructions on the back of the package. The prepared reduced-sodium fried rice was mixed with the black pepper heat-treated powder of Example 1-7 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w) to form the Example 1-7 sample. The reduced-sodium fried rice without the addition of the powder of Example 1-7 was used as the negative control sample. In addition, the reduced-sodium fried rice mixed with 0.28% (w / w) salt was used as the positive control sample. The salt equivalent was 0.71% (w / w) for the negative control sample and the Example 1-7 sample, and 0.99% (w / w) for the positive control sample. In the Example 1-7 sample of reduced-sodium fried rice, 14.1g of the black pepper heat-treated powder of Example 1-7 was added for every 100g of salt equivalent.

[0303] (2) Reduced-sodium soy sauce flavored ramen soup A ramen soup was prepared using a commercially available soy sauce flavored powdered ramen soup. To facilitate the evaluation of enhanced flavor, a low-concentration reduced-sodium ramen soup was prepared by dispersing the powder in hot water at 0.8 times the concentration specified in the product. The prepared reduced-sodium ramen soup was mixed with the powder of the heat-treated black pepper from Example 1-7 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w) to form the sample for Example 1-7. The reduced-sodium ramen soup from Example 1-7 without the addition of the aforementioned powder was used as the negative control sample. In addition, a standard ramen soup was prepared by dispersing the powdered ramen soup in hot water at the concentration specified in the product, and this was used as the positive control sample. The sodium chloride equivalent was 1.13% (w / w) for the negative control sample and the sample for Example 1-7, and 1.41% (w / w) for the positive control sample. Examples 1-7 of the reduced-sodium soy sauce flavored ramen soup contain 8.8 g of the heat-treated black pepper from Examples 1-7, calculated as black pepper, per 100 g of salt equivalent.

[0304] (3) Evaluation Two evaluators tasted the saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of sweetness, and oiliness of the saltiness

[0305] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0306]

[0307] 1.4.2. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-treated White Pepper (1) The flavor-enhancing effect of the heat-treated white pepper (oven roasted at 170°C for 9 minutes) from Example 2-8 on the flavor of several food items was confirmed.

[0308] (1) Samples of Example 2-8 fried rice, a negative control, and a positive control were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4.1. / (1) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated white pepper from Example 2-8 was used instead of the heat-treated black pepper from Example 1-7 of the reduced-salt fried rice. The salt equivalent was 0.71% (W / W) for the negative control and Example 2-8 samples, and 0.99% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In the Example 2-8 sample of the reduced-salt fried rice, 14.1g of the powder of the heat-treated white pepper from Example 2-8 was added for every 100g of salt equivalent.

[0309] (2) Sample of soy sauce flavored reduced-sodium ramen soup Example 2-8, a negative control, and a positive control were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4.1. / (2) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated white pepper of Example 2-8 was used instead of the heat-treated black pepper of Example 1-7. The sodium chloride equivalent was 1.13% (W / W) for the negative control and Example 2-8 samples, and 1.41% (W / W) for the positive control sample. Sample of soy sauce flavored reduced-sodium ramen soup Example 2-8 contains 8.8g of the heat-treated white pepper of Example 2-8, converted to white pepper amount, per 100g of sodium chloride equivalent.

[0310] (3) Evaluation The reduced-salt fried rice and reduced-salt ramen soup samples from Example 2-8, the negative control sample, and the positive control sample were consumed by two evaluators, and the saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of the sample from Example 2-8 were evaluated. The evaluation criteria are as described in 1. / 1.4.1. / (3) above. The evaluation for each item was decided through discussion between the two evaluators.

[0311] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0312]

[0313] 1.4.3. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated White Pepper (2) The effect of the heat-treated white pepper of Example 2-10 (heated at 123°C for 15 minutes in a pressurized sealed oil) on enhancing the flavor of white chocolate was confirmed.

[0314] (1) White Chocolate Commercial white chocolate was mixed with the powder paste of the heat-treated white pepper from Example 2-10 at a final concentration of 0.006% (w / w) of white pepper, excluding oils and fats. The mixture was heated and melted to 40°C in a water bath, then cooled to 30°C at room temperature. A seeding agent (NK Quick Temper NW, Nisshin Chemical Co., Ltd.) was added at a final concentration of 0.25% (w / w), and the mixture was solidified at room temperature to obtain the sample for Example 2-10. White chocolate melted and solidified under the same conditions as the sample for Example 2-10, except that the paste from Example 2-10 was not mixed in, was used as the negative control sample. White chocolate prepared under the same conditions as the sample for Example 2-10, except that palm oil was mixed in at a final concentration of 4.0% (w / w) instead of the paste from Example 2-10, was used as the positive control sample. The lipid concentration was 40.0% (W / W) for the negative control sample and the sample from Example 2-10, and 44.0% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In the white chocolate sample from Example 2-10, 15 mg of the paste from the heat-treated white pepper of Example 2-10 was added as white pepper to 100 g of lipid.

[0315] (2) Evaluation Two evaluators tasted the white chocolate samples from Examples 2-10, the negative control sample, and the positive control sample, and evaluated the saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of the Example 2-10 sample according to the following criteria. The evaluation for each item was decided through discussion between the two evaluators. AA: Stronger than the positive control sample A: About the same as the positive control sample B: Stronger than the negative control sample and weaker than the positive control sample C: About the same as the negative control sample

[0316] (3) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0317]

[0318] 2. Experiment 2: Flavor-enhancing composition containing heat-treated ginger

[0319] 2.1. Heat treatment of ginger

[0320] (1) Heating value The heating value is as defined in 1. / 1.1. / (1) above.

[0321] (2) Preparation of heat-treated ginger The ginger was heat-treated under the conditions shown in the table below. The definition of the heat value is as previously described. The temperature and time listed in the processing conditions column are the theoretical maximum temperature reached and the time it is held (however, in the case of oven heating, the oven setting time and the total heating time), but the calculation of the heat value is based on the temperature that changes over time. For this reason the heat value reflects the change in temperature over time, including the temperature and time when the temperature rises and falls.

[0322]

[0323] Comparative Example 201 used unpasteurized ginger that had been crushed into a powder for evaluation and analysis.

[0324] Comparative Example 202 used ginger that had been sterilized in a typical manner (125°C, airflow sterilization), which was then ground into a powder for evaluation and analysis.

[0325] The pressurized sealing and heating in Examples 201, 208, 209, and 210 was performed according to the following procedure. 50 g of ginger powder was filled into an aluminum foil pouch and sealed. The sealed pouch was heat-treated in a retort sterilizer at 120°C (Examples 208, 209), 130°C (Examples 201, 210) for 20 minutes (Examples 208, 210), 30 minutes (Example 201), and 90 minutes (Example 209), and then cooled with water. The heat treatment in the retort sterilizer was performed under a gauge pressure of 0.2 MPa.

[0326] Oven heating for Examples 202, 203, 204, 206, and 207 was performed using the following procedure. 10 g of unground whole ginger was placed on an aluminum tray and heated in an oven set to 230°C (Example 202), 110°C (Example 203), 130°C (Example 204), 150°C (Example 206), or 170°C (Example 207) for 21 minutes (Example 202) or 20 minutes (Examples 203, 204, 206, and 207). The temperature was measured by inserting a sensor thermometer into the oven. After heating, the ginger was transferred to a tray and allowed to cool to room temperature. The ginger was ground into a powder after heating and used for evaluation and analysis.

[0327] The oil roasting in Example 205 was carried out according to the following procedure. 100 g of palm oil (melting point 45°C) was heated, and when it reached 80°C, 100 g of ginger powder was mixed in. The resulting mixture was heated to 150°C while stirring, and held at this temperature for 5 minutes, after which the mixture was cooled. Cooling was carried out while stirring to the extent that the ginger powder did not separate in the mixture until it reached about 60°C, and then in a freezer until it solidified. The resulting oil-roasted product was used for evaluation and analysis.

[0328] 2.2. Enhancement of flavor by heat treatment of ginger (1) (1) Preparation of regular curry roux Regular curry roux (salt equivalent of 10.6g per 100g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (1) above.

[0329] (2) Preparation of reduced-sodium curry roux A reduced-sodium curry roux (sodium equivalent per 100g is 7.7g) was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.2. / (2) above.

[0330] (3) Sensory evaluation One sample was prepared by dissolving 44g of the regular curry roux from (1) above in 300g of hot water and boiling it while stirring.

[0331] Multiple solutions were prepared by dissolving 44 g of the reduced-sodium curry roux described in (2) above in 300 g of hot water and boiling it while stirring. To one of these solutions, a sample of the comparative example or example of the heat-treated ginger was added to achieve a final concentration of 0.1% by mass. In this test system, 10.1 g of the comparative example or example of the heat-treated ginger was added for every 100 g of sodium chloride equivalent in the hot water diluted solution of the reduced-sodium curry roux.

[0332] The taste of the reduced-sodium curry roux (dissolved in hot water) and the regular curry roux (dissolved in hot water) was compared, and evaluated by three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) or two evaluators (evaluators 1 and 2) according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0333] The evaluation criteria for the taste-enhancing effect and the method for calculating the average score are as described in 1. / 1.2. / (3) above.

[0334] When a sample from the comparative example or example of heat-treated ginger was added, the taste was evaluated by marking with an asterisk (*) which of the following tastes was perceived to be enhanced: saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, richness, oiliness, or milkiness. The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement effect on the corresponding taste.

[0335] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0336]

[0337] 2.3. Component Analysis The components contained in the comparative example and example samples (ginger samples) of heat-treated ginger were analyzed using the following procedure.

[0338] 2.3.1. Component analysis by LC-MS (1) Preparation of LC-MS sample The LC-MS sample was prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (1) above, except that a ginger sample was used instead of a pepper sample.

[0339] (2) LC-MS analysis conditions The analysis conditions for LC-orbitrap-MS are as described in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (2) above. The monitoring ions are as follows.

[0340] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component was extracted from the LC-MS ion chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard). The retention time and precise mass of the LC-MS analytes other than cyclic dipeptides are shown in the table below. The retention time and precise mass of cyclic dipeptides are as shown in 1. / 1.3. / 1.3.1. / (3) above. For cyclic dipeptides, the result of summing the peak area ratio for each bound amino acid is listed.

[0341]

[0342]

[0343] 2.3.2. Component Analysis by GC-MS (1) Preparation of GC-MS Sample 25 mg of ginger sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass converted to that of spice excluding the oil) was taken into a 10 mL test tube, and 4 mL of acetone (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) and 4 mL of methanol (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries) were added. 4-methylthiazole (Tokyo Chemical Industries) was added as an internal standard at a concentration of 4 μg / g relative to the ginger sample (on a dry weight basis; if the sample is a sample that has been heat-treated with oil, this refers to the mass converted to that of spice excluding the oil) in the test tube, and the test tube was stirred at room temperature, 2,500 rpm, for 10 minutes. After stirring, centrifugation was performed, and after centrifugation, 0.1 mL of the solution in the test tube was taken into a GC-MS vial, and 1 mL of acetone was added to prepare the GC-MS sample (n=3).

[0344] (2) GC-MS Analysis Conditions The analysis conditions for GC-orbitrap-MS are as follows: Analytical instrument: GC: TRACE1310 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) MS: QExactiveGC (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Analytical column: TG-WAXMS [Length] 60m [Inner diameter] 0.25mm [Film thickness] 0.25μm (Thermo Fisher Scientific) Autosampler: TRIPLUS RSH (Thermo Fisher Scientific) GC conditions: Injection method: Liquid injection, splitless Injection volume: 1μL Gas: Helium, 120kPa (pressure) Injection port temperature: 240℃ Oven temperature: 40°C (hold for 1 minute) - 10°C / min - 110°C - 2°C / min - 180°C - 3°C / min - 220°C - 30°C / min - 250°C (hold for 5.5 minutes), total 63 minutes MS conditions: Transfer temperature: 240°C Ion source temperature: 230°C Ionization method: Electron ionization (EI) method, EI positive MS scan: m / z 30-250 Monitoring ions: As shown in the table below.

[0345] (3) Data Analysis The precise mass of each component (see table below) was extracted from the GC-MS chromatogram, and the peak area was obtained. The components in each sample were compared by calculating the peak area ratio (= peak area of ​​each component / peak area of ​​the internal standard).

[0346]

[0347] 2.3.3 Results The results of the analysis of cyclic dipeptides in the samples of the examples or comparative examples of heat-treated ginger are shown in Table 22 below. For each detected cyclic dipeptide, the peak area ratio relative to the internal standard (caffeine-d9) was determined, and the sum of the peak area ratios of cyclic dipeptides containing a predetermined amino acid is shown in Table 22. The molecular species of cyclic dipeptides detected by contained amino acid are shown in Table 23. The samples of Examples 208 to 210 were not analyzed.

[0348]

[0349]

[0350] The table below shows the peak area ratios of aroma components and organic acids relative to the internal standard for the examples and comparative examples of heat-treated ginger.

[0351]

[0352] 2.4. Enhancement of Flavor by Heat-Treated Ginger (2) The flavor-enhancing effect of the heat-treated ginger from Example 203 (oven roasted at 110°C for 20 minutes) on the flavor of several food items was confirmed.

[0353] (1) Samples of Example 203 of reduced-salt fried rice, a negative control, and a positive control were prepared according to the procedure described in 1. / 1.4.1. / (1) above, except that the powder of the heat-treated ginger from Example 203 was used instead of the heat-treated black pepper from Example 1-8 of reduced-salt fried rice. The salt equivalent was 0.71% (W / W) for the negative control and Example 203 samples, and 0.99% (W / W) for the positive control sample. In the Example 203 sample of reduced-salt fried rice, 14.1g of the heat-treated ginger powder from Example 203 was added for every 100g of salt equivalent.

[0354] (2) Reduced-sodium soy sauce flavored ramen soup A ramen soup was prepared using a commercially available soy sauce flavored powdered ramen soup. To facilitate the evaluation of enhanced flavor, a low-concentration reduced-sodium ramen soup was prepared by dispersing the powder in hot water at 0.8 times the concentration specified in the product. The prepared reduced-sodium ramen soup was mixed with the ginger heat-treated powder from Example 203 at a final concentration of 0.1% (w / w) to form the Example 203 sample. The reduced-sodium ramen soup from Example 203 without the addition of the powder was used as the negative control sample. In addition, a standard ramen soup was prepared by dispersing the powdered ramen soup in hot water at the concentration specified in the product, and this was used as the positive control sample. The sodium chloride equivalent was 1.13% (w / w) for the negative control and the Example 203 sample, and 1.41% (w / w) for the positive control sample. In the soy sauce-flavored reduced-sodium ramen soup sample of Example 203, 8.8 g of the ginger heat-treated powder from Example 203 was added to 100 g of salt equivalent.

[0355] (3) Evaluation The 203 sample of the reduced-sodium fried rice and reduced-sodium ramen soup, the negative control sample and the positive control sample were consumed by two evaluators, and the saltiness, sweetness, and oiliness of the 203 sample were evaluated. The evaluation criteria are as described in 1. / 1.4.1. / (3) above. The two evaluators consulted with each other to determine the evaluation for each item.

[0356] (4) Evaluation Results The evaluation results are shown in the table below.

[0357]

[0358] Reference Example 1. Evaluation of Low-Fat Milk (1) Sample Preparation Eight types of cyclic dipeptide mixtures (No. 1 to No. 8 shown in the table below) were prepared. Each cyclic dipeptide was prepared by heating one or two types of edible amino acids together. Each cyclic dipeptide mixture was prepared by mixing the multiple cyclic dipeptides shown in the table in equal amounts by mass.

[0359] The cyclic dipeptide mixtures prepared above were added to low-fat milk (processed milk) with a lipid content of 1.9%. The cyclic dipeptide mixtures were added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide contained in them was 4 μg / g in the low-fat milk.

[0360] (2) Sensory evaluation Three evaluators evaluated samples containing two cups of additive-free low-fat milk and one cup of low-fat milk to which one of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 had been added. Each evaluator selected the sample in which they felt the oiliness of the low-fat milk was most enhanced. If they felt there was no difference between the three samples, they responded accordingly and did not select a sample. The effect of the cyclic dipeptide mixture on enhancing oiliness was evaluated based on the number of evaluators who selected the sample with enhanced oiliness (test sample). A: Two or more evaluators selected the test sample. B: One evaluator selected the test sample. C: No evaluators selected the test sample.

[0361]

[0362] Example 2: Evaluation of dark chocolate

[0363] (1) Preparation of samples Eight types of cyclic dipeptide mixtures (No. 1 to No. 8) having the same composition as in Reference Example 1 (1) above were prepared by the method described in Reference Example 1 (1) above.

[0364] Each cyclic dipeptide mixture prepared above was added to an aluminum pouch and freeze-dried to remove moisture. 40 g of dark chocolate with a lipid content of 36.4% and a cocoa content of 54% was placed in the aluminum pouch containing the cyclic dipeptides, and the contents were thoroughly mixed while the aluminum pouch was heated in a water bath. The mixture was poured into a mold and cooled in a refrigerator until solid. The cyclic dipeptide mixture was added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide in the chocolate was 10 μg / g. Chocolate without added cyclic dipeptides was prepared similarly using an aluminum pouch that did not contain cyclic dipeptides.

[0365] (2) Sensory evaluation Two samples were evaluated by three evaluators without disclosing the contents of the samples: one was additive-free chocolate, and the other was chocolate to which one of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 had been added. Each evaluator selected the sample in which they felt the fattiness of the chocolate was enhanced. If they felt there was no difference between the two samples, they responded accordingly and did not select a sample. The effect of the cyclic dipeptide mixture on enhancing the fattiness was evaluated based on the number of evaluators who selected the sample with enhanced fattiness (test sample). A: Two or more evaluators selected the test sample. B: One evaluator selected the test sample. C: No evaluators selected the test sample.

[0366] If either sample was perceived as having an enhanced oily feel, evaluators were asked to indicate which of the following enhanced oily feel they perceived: "oiliness," "richness / body," "oil-like fullness," or "lingering aftertaste / oiliness," by marking it with an asterisk (*). The asterisks (*) in the table only represent the results of evaluators who assessed that the chocolate with the added cyclic dipeptide mixture had an enhanced oily feel. The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators.

[0367]

[0368] Reference Example 3. Evaluation Results of Cocoa Powder Dissolved in Hot Water (1) Sample Preparation 4g of low-fat cocoa powder with a lipid content of 11% (11% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar were taken into a cup, and 140g of hot water and the cyclic dipeptide mixtures prepared above were added and mixed well. The cyclic dipeptide mixture was added so that the concentration of each cyclic dipeptide contained therein in the low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water was 10 μg / g each.

[0369] For comparison, we prepared two solutions: one using 4g of cocoa powder with a fat content of 24% (24% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar dissolved in 140g of hot water, and another using 4g of low-fat cocoa powder with a fat content of 11% (11% cocoa butter) and 4g of granulated sugar dissolved in 140g of hot water.

[0370] Three evaluators (evaluators 1, 2, and 3) compared a hot water-dissolved cocoa powder product with a hot water-dissolved low-fat cocoa powder product, evaluating the "enhancement of the oily texture" based on the following criteria.

[0371] The effect of enhancing the oily sensation was assigned a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 points as follows. Three evaluators evaluated the oily sensation of each sample in 0.1-point increments, and the average score was calculated.

[0372] 1 point: Similar oiliness to low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 2 points: Slightly stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 3 points: Stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 4 points: Significantly stronger oiliness than low-fat cocoa powder dissolved in hot water. 5 points: Similar oiliness to cocoa powder dissolved in hot water.

[0373] When any of the cyclic dipeptide mixtures No. 1 to 8 was added, the evaluators evaluated which of the following aspects of the oiliness was perceived to be enhanced: "oiliness," "richness, depth of flavor," "oily fullness," and "lingering aftertaste, oily aftertaste," marking each with an asterisk (*). The number of asterisks (*) corresponds to the number of evaluators who reported feeling an enhancement in the corresponding oiliness.

[0374]

Claims

1. A flavor-enhancing composition containing one or more heat-treated spices selected from the group consisting of heat-treated ginger and heat-treated pepper.

2. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 1, wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated ginger.

3. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 2, wherein the heat-treated ginger is obtained by heat-treating ginger under conditions that result in a heat value of 5 or higher.

4. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the heat-treated ginger is obtained by heat-treating ginger under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized sealed conditions.

5. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the heat-treated ginger is heat-treated in one or more ways selected from unground ginger and ground ginger.

6. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the heat-treated ginger is a mixture of ginger and amino acids or peptides that has been heat-treated.

7. The heat-treated ginger is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated ginger and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (301) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.8 or more; (302) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.4 or more; (303) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more; (304) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.89 or more. (305) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.8 or more, (306) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (307) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glycine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, (308) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.8 or more, (309) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.9 or more, (310) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from lysine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.3 or more, (311) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more.(312) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.2 or more, (313) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.3 or more, (314) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (315) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 8.4 or more, (316) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.64 or more, (317) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, (318) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.1 or more, (319) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.010 or more, (320) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 19 or more, (321) The area ratio of peak areas derived from ascorbic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.25 or more, (322) The area ratio of peak areas derived from tartaric acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 1.2 or more, (323) The area ratio of peak areas derived from quinic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.70 or more. (324) The area ratio of the peak area derived from citric acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 810 or more, and (325) The area ratio of the peak area derived from succinic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 100 or more.A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 6, satisfying one or more of the following conditions. (LC-MS measurement method) A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated ginger and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a constant temperature water bath at 75°C for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated ginger are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

8. The heat-treated ginger is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated ginger and, in the chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method, (326) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furaneol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.063 or more, (327) the area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-furfurylthiol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.15 or more, (328) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more, (329) the area ratio of the peak area derived from 5-methylfurfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.039 or more, (330) the area ratio of the peak area derived from furfuryl alcohol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.17 or more. (331) The area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylfuran to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.12 or more, (332) The area ratio of the peak area derived from hydroxymethylfurfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.39 or more, (333) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.56 or more, (334) The area ratio of the peak area derived from perillaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.93 or more, (335) The area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 8.3 or more, (336) The area ratio of the peak area derived from carveol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.079 or more, (337) The area ratio of the peak area derived from pyrrole-2-carboxyaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.10 or more, and (338) the area ratio of the peak area derived from 2-acetylpyrrole to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more.A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 7, satisfying one or more of the following conditions. (GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated ginger, 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole relative to the heat-treated ginger, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

9. A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 2 to 8, comprising: heat-treating ginger to obtain the heat-treated ginger.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 5 or higher.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a2) open system conditions, b2) conditions in which oil is present, and c2) pressurized and sealed conditions.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the ginger is one or more selected from unground ginger and ground ginger.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the ginger is a mixture of ginger and an amino acid or peptide.

14. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat-treated spice contains the heat-treated pepper.

15. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 14, wherein the heat-treated pepper is obtained by heat-treating pepper under conditions that result in a heating value of 25 or higher.

16. The flavor-enhancing composition according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the heat-treated pepper is obtained by heat-treating pepper under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

17. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the heat-treated pepper is obtained by heat-treating one or more types of pepper selected from unground pepper and ground pepper.

18. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the heat-treated pepper is heat-treated by one or more types selected from white pepper and black pepper.

19. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the heat-treated pepper is a mixture of pepper and amino acids or peptides that has been heat-treated.

20. The heat-treated pepper is white pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated pepper and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (201) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.5 or more, (202) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.8 or more, (203) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.2 or more, (204) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.22 or more. (205) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamic acid-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (206) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glutamine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.20 or more, (207) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from glycine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.54 or more, (208) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from histidine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.4 or more, (209) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from leucine or isoleucine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 5.5 or more, (210) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from lysine-containing cyclic dipeptides to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.80 or more, (211) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.3 or more.(212) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.6 or more, (213) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 6.7 or more, (214) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.49 or more, (215) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.93 or more, (216) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.22 or more, (217) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.44 or more, (218) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.1 or more, (219) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.14 or more, (220) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, (221) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(22H)-furanone to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.23 or more, (222) The area ratio of peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.55 or more, (223) The area ratio of peak areas derived from ascorbic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.025 or more. (224) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.10 or more, and the flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 19 satisfies one or more of the above. (LC-MS measurement method)A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated pepper and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated pepper are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

21. The heat-treated pepper is black pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 5 μg / g caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g L-methionine sulfone to the heat-treated pepper and the resulting chromatogram obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) according to the following method, in which: (101) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the alanine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 18 or more, (102) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the arginine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.73 or more, (103) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the aspartic acid-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, (104) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from the asparagine-containing cyclic dipeptide to the peak area derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.41 or more. (105) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamic acid to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, (106) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glutamine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.7 or more, (107) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing glycine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, (108) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing histidine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 6.7 or more, (109) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing leucine or isoleucine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, (110) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing lysine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 3.5 or more, (111) The sum of the area ratios of the peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing methionine to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more.(112) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing phenylalanine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.9 or more, (113) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing proline to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.8 or more, (114) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing serine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 1.7 or more, (115) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing threonine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 9.4 or more, (116) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tryptophan to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.39 or more, (117) The total area ratio of peak areas derived from cyclic dipeptides containing tyrosine to peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 2.1 or more, (118) The sum of the area ratios of peak areas derived from valine-containing cyclic dipeptides to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 4.8 or more, (119) The area ratio of peak areas derived from sulfurol to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.30 or more, (120) The area ratio of peak areas derived from pyroglutamic acid to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 14 or more, (121) The area ratio of peak areas derived from 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.11 or more, (122) The area ratio of peak areas derived from vanillin to the peak areas derived from caffeine-d9 is 0.65 or more, (123) The area ratio of peak areas derived from ascorbic acid to the peak areas derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.50 or more. (124) The area ratio of the peak area derived from vanillic acid to the peak area derived from L-methionine sulfone is 0.47 or more, and the flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 19 satisfies one or more of the above. (LC-MS measurement method)A 15 mL test tube containing 200 mg of the heat-treated pepper and 7.5 mL of water is heated in a 75°C constant temperature water bath for 10 minutes to prepare an aqueous extract. To the aqueous extract in the test tube, 2.5 mL of acetonitrile and 5 μg / g of caffeine-d9 and 5 μg / g of L-methionine sulfone relative to the heat-treated pepper are added and stirred. After stirring, the solid components are removed and the liquid components are recovered to prepare the sample. The aforementioned sample is analyzed by LC-MS (ionization method: electrospray ionization (ESI) positive mode and ESI negative mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

22. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the heat-treated pepper is white pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated pepper and the resulting chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method satisfies one or more of the following: (225) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.20 or more, (226) The area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 6.6 or more, (227) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.20 or more, and (228) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.38 or more. (GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated pepper, 4-methylthiazole in an amount equivalent to 4 μg / g relative to the heat-treated pepper, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed, the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

23. The flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 19 and 21, wherein the heat-treated pepper is black pepper that has been heat-treated, and the heat-treated pepper is analyzed by adding 4 μg / g of 4-methylthiazole to the heat-treated pepper and the resulting chromatogram obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) according to the following method satisfies one or more of the following: (125) The area ratio of the peak area derived from ferlandral to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.28 or more; (126) The area ratio of the peak area derived from nerolidol to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 23 or more; (127) The area ratio of the peak area derived from benzaldehyde to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.30 or more; and (128) The area ratio of the peak area derived from furfural to the peak area derived from 4-methylthiazole is 0.19 or more. (GC-MS measurement method) A 10 mL test tube containing 25 mg of the heat-treated pepper, 4-methylthiazole in an amount equivalent to 4 μg / g relative to the heat-treated pepper, 4 mL of acetone, and 4 mL of methanol is stirred, the solid components are removed, the liquid components are recovered, and 1 mL of acetone is added for every 0.1 mL of the liquid components to prepare a GC-MS sample. The GC-MS sample is analyzed by GC-MS (ionization method: electron ionization (EI) positive mode) to obtain a chromatogram.

24. A method for producing a flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 14 to 23, comprising: heat-treating pepper to obtain the heat-treated pepper.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the heat treatment is performed under conditions that result in a heating value of 25 or higher.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the heat treatment is performed under one or more conditions selected from a1) open system conditions, b1) conditions in which oil is present, and c1) pressurized sealed conditions.

27. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the pepper is one or more selected from unground pepper and ground pepper.

28. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein the pepper is one or more selected from white pepper and black pepper.

29. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the pepper is a mixture of pepper and an amino acid or peptide.

30. A flavor-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 14 to 23, for which the composition is incorporated into a food product to enhance the flavor of the food product itself.

31. A method for enhancing the taste of food, comprising incorporating a taste-enhancing composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and 14 to 23 into the food.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the enhanced taste is the taste of the food itself.

33. The method according to claim 31 or 32, comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the concentration of the heat-treated spice in the food is 0.002% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

34. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, comprising blending the flavor-enhancing composition into the food such that the amount of heat-treated spices is 0.5 g or more per 100 g of salt equivalent in the food.

35. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 34, comprising: if the lipid content of the food is less than 20% by mass, the flavor-enhancing composition being added to the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 0.05 g or more per 100 g of lipid in the food; and if the lipid content of the food is 20% by mass or more, the flavor-enhancing composition being added to the food such that the amount of heat-treated spice is 1.0 mg or more per 100 g of lipid in the food.

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